


Something New

by Edele Lane (Edyn04)



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Angst, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Family Fluff, Five chapters now oof, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, I might keep adding to this, Love is in the Air, One-Shot, Post-8.3, Referenced Past Relationships, Six chapters aaahhhh, Soon to be six, Uh it’s a two-shot now I guess?, Valentine’s Day, We are now up to four chapters omg, Yo we have eight chapters, for now, parenting, seventh chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:54:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 45,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22637137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Edyn04/pseuds/Edele%20Lane
Summary: After N’Zoth’s defeat, the Alliance and Horde pause peace negotiations to let everyone spend time with partners and loved ones during the Love is in the Air celebration.Jaina seeks out Vereesa and the two have a conversation that ranges from light and silly to dark and gloomy and beyond...With their first date (of sorts) having gone well, Jaina and Vereesa embark on a new chapter of their friendship and budding relationship, and everything that entails...The story chronicles Jaina and Vereesa’s evolving relationship and the eventual joining of the Proudmoore and Windrunner families.Eighth chapter up, at least a few more to come...
Relationships: Alleria Windrunner/Tandred Proudmoore, Jaina Proudmoore/Vereesa Windrunner, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 68
Kudos: 112





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Writing a decent chunk of Vereesa for _Awakening_ made me realize how much I enjoy the character and her friendship with Jaina. This story started out going multiple different directions, but this is the one I settled on. One-shot for now, but could be expanded upon in the future.
> 
> Enjoy.

The mood in Dalaran was light.

All around, people were celebrating Love is in the Air. The floral scent of perfume lingered and Jaina Proudmoore breathed in, letting the sweet smell wash over her. Petals almost seemed to rain from the sky, dancing through the air, settling in hair and on shoulders. The breeze carrying the petals blew about her hair, out of its usual braid, as well as the soft dress she wore, lavender with sea foam accents, that stopped at her shins. It was flowing and light and she had bought it recently, in celebration of having a little time off. It was something new and different, showcasing a more gentle and playful side of herself, one that rarely presented itself, so inundated with work and duty was she as of late. She hoped she would have more opportunities to wear it and others like it.

Along with her new dress, she wore a pair of matching sandals, topping off the ensemble with a dark purple cloak to stave off the end of the winter’s chill. As she walked, her cape billowed behind her and she found herself glancing around at how packed the city was for the two-week celebration. She smiled faintly at how many clearly in love couples were walking and talking, their hands clasped, nuzzling noses and cheeks, wandering aimlessly, or finding a secluded spot for a picnic.

Her smile faded a little as she walked and she looked down at her feet, suddenly finding all the love and joy to be just a bit too saccharine, a bit too much to take. She shook her head as she walked, thinking about past loves, thinking about the woman she was about to see, how much that woman had suffered in losing the one she loved.

Jaina swallowed, clutching the basket she held. She had been so busy lately, busy with trying to do her duties as Lord Admiral back home in Kul Tiras, and busier still trying to advise Anduin after N’Zoth’s fall, hoping that peace between the Alliance and Horde could finally be achieved.

It was not by luck or chance that her time off had come during the celebration of love. The various leaders on both sides had proposed a break in proceedings, opting to let everyone catch up with their partners and families and friends, and come back ready to work.

Jaina was grateful for the time off, but it served to remind her of how lonely she was, and how painful it felt.

So, prior to the break, she had sent a letter to Vereesa Windrunner, a letter that was immediately responded to, asking if she would like to partake in a meal and catch up. Her friend had agreed, rather enthusiastically, and Jaina had gathered food and drinks for them, and was now on her way to the Violet Citadel.

She had not seen Vereesa outside of any battles in a while, but she was looking forward to seeing her friend again and, hopefully, talking about anything other than what was going on in the world.

The woman in question was standing just outside the Citadel as Jaina approached. She was by the top of the steps, bouncing on her feet. She wore a dress similar to Jaina’s, but hers was a deep, lovely red, and she had paired it with silver heels that matched her long hair, tousled slightly in the breeze.

She spotted Jaina immediately, fixing her with an excited smile. Jaina smiled back, taking the steps two at a time, her sandals clicking on the stone. She set the picnic basket down, her face flushing, her disposition sunny and bright. Vereesa flushed as well, rushing to close the short distance between them, pulling Jaina into her arms.

There were excited, goofy giggles as they embraced and animated whispering when they separated. Jaina felt as though she were a kid again, seeing a friend after coming home from a long trip at sea. Vereesa grasped Jaina’s arm along with the picnic basket and led her inside.

“I’m so happy we could do this, Jaina.”

“Me too,” Jaina said. With a relieved sigh, she murmured, “ _Tides_ , it feels good to not be working for once...”

Vereesa chuckled. “Feels good to not be taking care of the twins for a bit.”

Jaina raised a curious eyebrow. She had assumed the twins would merely be shuffled off to their rooms for a while, letting the adults have some time to talk. “You found a sitter?”

“Alleria’s watching them for a couple of hours.” Vereesa huffed a laugh. “She whined, she wanted to spend time with Turalyon.”

“Aw,” Jaina said, “spending time with their nephews will be good for both of them.”

“I think so, too. And besides, I offered to take Arator tomorrow, so they’ll be able to have plenty of alone time. Couple of hours today won’t kill them... although, I did send the twins off with some sweets...” Vereesa turned to Jaina and grinned wickedly.

“I think this is the most sinister I’ve seen you,” Jaina teased, sporting a lop-sided grin as Vereesa’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

“No more Ms. Nice Windrunner,” Vereesa declared proudly.

“You’ll still always be nice.” Jaina’s voice was sweet and sincere and Vereesa lit up, her eyes crinkling.

“Yeah,” she admitted, “I guess I’m not fooling anyone with that...”

She pouted just a little as she led Jaina towards where they would be eating, a cozy living room that had been redecorated since the last time Jaina had visited. There was a comfortable-looking royal blue couch, a couple of matching plush chairs, and a coffee table with a few children’s books written in Thalassian. The walls were painted a very light blue and adorned with family pictures that Jaina could not recall having seen before. Jaina smiled faintly as her eyes drifted from picture to picture, and her breath caught in her throat when her eyes fell upon one with Rhonin embracing a laughing Vereesa, a grin on his face as he nuzzled her hair, their sons rolling their eyes and palming their faces as they peered up and over their shoulders at their parents’ display.

Her heart sank and her shoulders slumped. Vereesa set the basket down on the table and slipped an arm around Jaina’s shoulders, determined to not have their time spent together marred by sad feelings.

“Hey,” she said gently, “this is going to be a good day, all right? I get to see my friend, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Jaina forced herself to nod, Vereesa’s words and her kind voice threatening to make her weep on the spot. She looked at Vereesa with slightly watery eyes and let her friend pull her into a fierce hug, lamenting the fact that, when it came to Theramore, she seemed to always be the one who needed to be comforted.

***

A short while later, both women were seated comfortably on the couch, the table next to them sporting the picnic basket along with wine glasses, plates, and napkins. Jaina unpacked the basket while Vereesa poured the wine. There was an assortment of meats and cheeses and crackers, along with tiny cakes and puddings for dessert. Jaina piled a cracker high and pressed another cracker atop the slices of cheese and meat, beginning to chow down. Vereesa chuckled at the sight of Jaina biting into an obnoxiously stacked snack, then did the same and dug in.

They ate in silence for a while, both of them munching on several crackers and plenty of meats and cheeses, washing it all down with a vintage that Jaina had obtained from Thalyssra, a sweet wine with just a bit of bite to it.

With an amused smile that she hid behind another pair of stacked crackers, she realized that this particular vintage rather perfectly embodied Vereesa’s personality.

“So, beyond work, what have you been up to?” Vereesa asked then, taking a sip of her wine.

Jaina shrugged and sipped her wine as well. “Not very much, really. I think my life’s more boring now than it was when I was younger and a total bookworm.”

Vereesa huffed a laugh. “Let’s be honest, you’re _always_ going to be a bookworm.”

Jaina’s face warmed as she ducked her head to hide her shy smile. “Thanks for that.”

“No problem.” Vereesa winked and Jaina just shook her head.

“What about you, then?” Jaina reached out to lightly prod Vereesa’s knee. “What have you been doing?”

“Same as usual, I’m afraid,” Vereesa said with a resigned sigh. “Raising the twins, taking care of my nephew, trying to figure out if one or both of my sisters is evil...” She quirked an eyebrow at Jaina.

“I don’t know about Sylvanas,” Jaina offered quietly, “but as long as Alleria can keep the voices under control, she should be all right, I would think.”

Vereesa nodded and poured herself and Jaina more wine, taking a long drink and holding the glass to her chest, a far-off look in her eyes. “I’m not nearly as worried about Alleria as I am Sylvanas. I don’t know what she’s up to, I don’t know why she’s done what she has, I just know that Alleria wants to go after her. I think she’s planning on going with Turalyon. Maybe they’ll find something, maybe they’ll discover that she has some convoluted plan to save us all...” She waved a dismissive hand and snorted at the thought. A silent moment passed and she turned serious, whispering, “Unlikely, but I can hold out hope, can’t I?”

Jaina met Vereesa’s gaze, finding her eyes filled with a glimmer of faith and optimism, but tempered by worry and sadness. Jaina gave Vereesa a slight nod, a gentle smile turning up her lips. “Holding out hope is all we can do sometimes.”

Vereesa nodded as well, then looked down at her wine, twirling the glass, making the liquid slosh back and forth. Neither spoke for a few minutes, the two content to let the mystery of Sylvanas Windrunner hang in the air. Finally, Vereesa sighed and ran a hand through her silver locks, gazing inquisitively at Jaina. She had decided to change the subject, wanting to set aside the fretting she had been doing over both of her sisters.

“I was wondering something,” she began with a raised eyebrow, “since ‘Love is in the Air’ and all...”

Jaina swallowed and nodded nervously for Vereesa to continue, a cold, hard knot settling into her stomach. Her thoughts turned to Theramore and Rhonin, and of a family broken apart by tragedy.

“Have you spoken with Kalecgos recently?” Vereesa asked, giving Jaina’s arm a playful nudge. “I always thought you two made a sweet pair.” Jaina flushed a little, relieved that the question was not a hard one to answer as she feared it might be. Vereesa smiled at her, adding, “Seemed you two were soulmates.”

“I don’t know if I believe in soulmates,” Jaina murmured thoughtfully, after a few moments of consideration. “It’s a nice idea, but... after everything I’ve seen, I’m not sure how I feel about it anymore.”

“You can have more than one soulmate,” Vereesa said, and Jaina’s eyes went wide. She tried to recover before Vereesa saw, but her friend just smiled again. “Soulmates don’t have to be romantic,” Vereesa explained, “at least, to me they don’t. They can be friends, people you’re close to.”

Jaina relaxed, softening. Vereesa’s eyes were bright and shining and Jaina felt a smile tug at her mouth. “‘Friends’?” she repeated, as Vereesa nodded. “Maybe...” Her face lit up in recognition, though she felt a tad sheepish. “Maybe...” she said again, “you’re... my soulmate?”

Vereesa chuckled and took another sip of wine. “That was what I was getting at, yes.”

“I like that,” Jaina mused. They smiled at one another and Jaina moved closer, letting her cheek drop comfortably onto the elf’s shoulder.

Vereesa took one of Jaina’s hands in hers. “Friends are the best kind of soulmates,” she said, leaning her cheek against Jaina’s temple. “You can have so many, and you’ll know that even if you’re apart for a while, even if your lives take you in different directions, they’ll still always be there, that those feelings will never go away.”

“That’s certainly a nice perk,” Jaina whispered.

“It’s the best,” Vereesa whispered back.

The pair was silent for a while, neither feeling as though any more words were necessary. There was a level of comfort between them that they cherished, a comfort for which they would always be grateful. Jaina smiled at the thought of having a soulmate in a best friend, but her thoughts began to run rampant once more, and she began thinking of the current holiday and what it meant, began thinking of romantic soulmates, or at least, romantic partners, and she thought about how she wished she had one.

She was uncomfortably lonely. Friends were all well and good, but she missed connecting with a partner. She thought about Kalec, thought about how their last meaningful interaction had ended in a kiss that had filled her with hope that maybe, someday, they might find their way back to each other again.

But, neither of them had pushed it, neither of them had sought out the other. Perhaps, they had just been too busy. Or, perhaps, that kiss was all they were meant to have. A farewell, rather than a greeting or invitation. She sighed, finding herself wondering if Vereesa felt the same loneliness she did. Her friend must have felt it a little, she imagined, how could she not? Vereesa went from having the perfect family, the perfect husband... to being a widow with two boys to raise on her own.

If Vereesa felt loneliness, though, she was damn good at hiding it.

Licking her lips and mustering up the courage to ask, Jaina drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“Do you ever get... lonely?” she asked, sitting up and chancing a look at Vereesa.

Vereesa’s entire mood seemed to darken and Jaina felt guilty. She had not meant to make Vereesa upset, she was only looking for someone to relate to how she felt, all too often.

“I do,” Vereesa answered, looking down at her hands. She played with her wedding ring, turning it in circles between her fingertips.

“I’m sorry.” Jaina’s lower lip quivered, her voice shaking.

Vereesa nodded, exhaling deeply. She was still looking at her hands, still absently turning her ring. “I miss him every day.”

“He should be here,” Jaina blurted, her voice raspy. “He gave up his entire existence for me.”

Vereesa was shaking her head vigorously. “Don’t do that.”

Her voice was hard, almost scolding. They sat in silence again, Jaina feeling as though she may break at any moment. Vereesa’s ears went flat against her head and she looked up, her eyes feeling to Jaina as though they may burn through to her very soul. She considered responding, a million replies circling in her mind, and she hastily opened her mouth to speak, when Vereesa held up a hand.

“You think I haven’t considered the alternative?” Her eyes were blazing and her lips were a thin line. She regarded Jaina with a harsh stare, one hand beginning to shake and clench into a fist. “You think I haven’t spent days, weeks, months, _years_ wondering ‘what if’?”

Jaina was unable to look away, even as much as it hurt to hold her friend’s gaze. She thought about earlier, the wicked smirk on Vereesa’s face when she joked about Alleria barely being able to make it through babysitting. She thought about the wine they had been drinking, sweet and soft, but with an edge. There was an edge to Vereesa, for certain, one that was rarely glimpsed, obscured by a kind disposition and a warm personality.

Hearing her friend speak so harshly, so... _honestly_ , chilled Jaina deeply, but she could not help but think that she needed to hear this. Even so, guilt coursed through her veins and she fought to try and come up with something appropriate to say. Nothing seemed as though it would help and she spiraled into a deeper feeling of guilt and shame.

She shook her head and finally spoke, her words tumbling out of her. “I had nothing to lose. Rhonin had _everything_.” One look at Vereesa’s face told her the words she was saying were wrong, but she could not stop them. Her thoughts were leaving her mouth faster than she could properly process and consider them. “Why would he save me, when he was the one with a family, a wife and children?”

Vereesa clenched a shaky fist, then raised her other hand, slapping Jaina so hard the sound rang out through the room, echoing off the walls. She was shaking as she looked at Jaina, tears in her eyes. Jaina was bewildered and hurt and chastised all at once. She cautiously reached up to touch her cheek, red from the slap, but mostly from embarrassment.

Vereesa glanced away, covering her fist with her palm. Her shoulders trembled and her voice was rough and quiet as she spoke. “Do you know what I’m grateful for?”

Jaina sucked in a breath, her cheek still smarting from the slap. She gave Vereesa a slight shake of her head in response, not remotely trusting herself to speak.

Vereesa took a long, deep breath and let it out in a short huff, feeling a wave of calm wash over her. “I’m grateful that _both_ of you did not perish that day. I’m grateful that I was able to hold on to a dear friend.”

Jaina managed an understanding nod, but she still did not dare speak. The air in the room was thick with her remorse and shame at what she had said. She looked down at her lap, folding her hands, not knowing what to do with them. She gasped and nearly pulled away when she felt Vereesa’s hand, warm and gentle, on her cheek.

“Do you know how difficult it would have been, how much it would have hurt, if I had lost you, too?” Vereesa looked into Jaina’s eyes, her friend’s chagrin palpable. She dropped her hand back down, resting it on her fist once more. “I’ve wondered how different my life would be if I had lost you instead. I’ve imagined scenarios where I’m... relieved... that it was not Rhonin who died, that you had saved him and he had lived.”

Jaina felt Vereesa’s eyes burning into her and she looked away, tears nearly ready to fall onto her cheeks.

“Do you know how I feel whenever I think like that?” Vereesa did not give her a chance to answer. “I feel like _garbage_. To think about throwing your life away instead and having my husband still be here... it makes me feel like the most selfish person in the world.”

“He was your _husband_ ,” Jaina protested, and she knew she was risking another slap, or perhaps, Vereesa would uncover that fist and punch her this time. “I think you’re allowed to be selfish over losing the one you love.” She licked her lips and swallowed, almost choking on her next words. “Your _soulmate_.”

Vereesa merely nodded, her hands still in her lap. “Maybe,” she allowed after a long silence, “but I don’t like the kind of person that makes me.”

Jaina shook her head. “You’re the most kind-hearted, strong-willed person I know,” she whispered, tentatively grasping the hand that was not a fist. “I love you, Vereesa. You have no idea how grateful I am to have you as a friend.”

Vereesa let a small smile grace her lips as she squeezed Jaina’s hand. “I love you, too.”

“I’m sorry for what I said,” Jaina mumbled, “I guess... sometimes it’s just difficult to be around you or the boys, and not think that the wrong person survived.” Her voice broke and she lifted her hands to her face, wiping away tears that had finally begun to fall.

Vereesa watched Jaina cry for a few moments, imagining herself in her friend’s shoes. Jaina had been through much, but she was still here, still carrying around residual survivor’s guilt, still trying to make sense of everything. Through it all, she was trying to find herself, trying to be a better person, trying to once again be the woman who sought peace for all.

Vereesa admired Jaina more than she could ever say. She admired her strength and her courage, her conviction, her humanity... and her friendship. Jaina was the kind of person that many strove to be, herself included.

She missed her husband dearly, she always would, but she knew that her life was still enriched with Jaina in it.

She reached out her hand again, shaking faintly, and wiped away Jaina’s tears. She rested her palm against the cheek she had slapped, shivering at how Jaina leaned into her hand, soft, watery eyes closing.

Jaina drew in several quick, shaky breaths as she tried to calm herself. She felt soothed by Vereesa’s hand on her cheek, felt as though she could just stay in this moment forever. Her lower lip shook and she bit it, feeling guilt come over her again.

She hated feeling as she did. She wanted to believe Vereesa, wanted to believe that her friend did not resent her for being alive. It was difficult, exceedingly so, when she saw Rhonin in the boys’ faces, when she saw Vereesa touching her wedding ring, when she saw the happy family portraits on the wall. She felt like an outsider, felt like she did not belong, felt like she deserved to be the one who had perished.

Feeling guilty all over again, feeling sick enough that she may vomit the lovely lunch they had shared, Jaina began to stand, only to be gently pulled back down to the couch, looking sadly into Vereesa’s soft eyes.

“Vereesa...” she began, biting her trembling lip and looking away.

“I meant everything I said, Jaina,” Vereesa told her, reaching up to touch her face again. “I meant all of it and more.”

Jaina’s eyes snapped back to her, wondering what her words meant. She tried to relax again, Vereesa’s hand on her cheek serving to soothe her once more. She tried to push down the sick feeling to focus on her friend, to focus on the woman who was beautiful inside and out, the woman who did not have a hateful bone in her body.

She closed her eyes, taking a steadying breath, trying to calm down, but in her mind, she was reliving Theramore, reliving Rhonin trying to minimize the impact of the bomb, reliving getting shoved through a portal by a truly selfless man. A sob caught in her throat and she nearly stood up again when she felt Vereesa move closer, the elf radiating comfort and reassurance.

She could not suppress her gasp of surprise when she felt Vereesa’s lips on hers, warm and soft. Her eyes snapped open and she searched Vereesa’s, trying to find the words to say, trying to make sense of what had just happened. She opened her mouth to speak, but Vereesa gently silenced her with another kiss, hands moving to pull her closer.

Vereesa had acted out of passion, wanting Jaina to stay. She had not planned any of it, she was not even certain how she felt. All she knew was that kissing Jaina did not feel wrong. Kissing her did not feel like a betrayal of her husband.

The rest of her feelings were jumbled and confused, and judging by the look on Jaina’s face, her friend felt the same way. Still though, neither of them moved away, neither wanted to leave. They gazed at one another, pondering their feelings, pondering their actions. Jaina thought that Vereesa seemed to be waiting, seemed to be looking for assurance that the kisses were not unwanted.

Jaina leaned closer in response, quivering lips pressing to Vereesa’s in another soft kiss. She felt as though she was testing the waters, testing the way her body warmed when Vereesa had kissed her, testing what that meant.

Vereesa returned the kiss with more fervor than she had expected, and she gasped softly when they finally separated. Vereesa stroked her still slightly sore cheek and Jaina searched her eyes. Jaina’s head was spinning, not unpleasantly, as her mind raced.

Vereesa threaded her fingers through Jaina’s silky white hair, considering the color, considering the most obvious effect of the mana bomb. She shook her head almost imperceptibly, leaning forward and pressing her forehead against Jaina’s, a sigh on her lips.

Neither spoke, but they both closed their eyes, and they both reached for each other, feeling comfort in one another’s arms. After what seemed like an eternity, Jaina broke the silence between them.

Panting softly and leaning ever closer, lips almost brushing against Vereesa’s, she murmured a loaded question. “What are we doing?”

“I don’t know,” Vereesa whispered with a light shake of her head. She truly did not know. She did not know if what they were doing would ruin their friendship, she did not know if acting rashly would end up destroying them both.

But, she did know that she did not care. The way Jaina stared at her lips, the way Jaina’s chest heaved slightly, the way Jaina trembled as she fit perfectly into her arms, told her that Jaina must feel the same way.

It was something new, something different, something... good.

As she drew Jaina into another breathless kiss, she repeated, “I don’t know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time experimenting with writing this pairing, so I’d love to know your thoughts.
> 
> Hopefully, it was a nice read. I may write more for these two in the future if I come up with a solid idea.
> 
> Thanks for clicking!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck me, I’m gonna have to turn in my Sylvaina shipper membership card and I have the damn thing laminated.
> 
> Whatever! I’m finding Jaina/Vereesa to be absolutely goddamn adorable and I’m okay with that.

“Alleria will be back soon,” Vereesa bemoaned between kisses.

“How long do we have?” Jaina whispered, stealing a kiss.

“Twenty minutes at most.” Vereesa sighed softly, catching her breath.

Jaina sighed as well, tucking some of Vereesa’s hair behind her ear. She leaned back against the couch, brushing swollen lips with her fingers. She had not had much time to think about what kissing Vereesa had meant. They had instead spent the better part of an hour cuddled together on the couch, kissing softly, sweetly, holding each other tight.

Jaina closed her eyes, a soft, content hum on her lips when Vereesa tucked into her side. They had only briefly discussed their next step, deciding to meet for dinner the following week, to take things slow. They had just barely settled in when there was a loud series of knocks at the door, along with the sounds of Giramar and Galadin giggling and Alleria groaning her obvious discontent. Jaina and Vereesa broke apart quickly, standing and smoothing their dresses.

Vereesa walked to the door and opened it, grinning when she saw her sons’ smiling faces and Alleria’s put-upon pout. Her boys, however, looked right past her at Jaina.

“Aunt Jaina!”

Jaina welcomed the boys with open arms, smiling brightly as she knelt to embrace them. Vereesa drew Alleria into a hug, holding her tight as she tensed and then relaxed, groaning again, though it was more quiet than before.

“It couldn’t have been _that_ bad, Alleria,” Vereesa gently chided.

“No, I suppose not.” Alleria nodded towards Jaina, currently collapsed on the couch with the twins and engaged in a tickle fight. “How was it? Seeing your friend again?”

Vereesa did her damnedest not to give away how excited she was to be exploring a possible relationship with Jaina. She schooled her expression into one of generic happiness, saying, “It was great. We haven’t gotten to see each other in a friendly capacity in a long time.”

“The boys are certainly enjoying her company.”

Jaina was still being tickled by the boys in question, covering her face with her hands and laughing, the sound filling the room and nearly making Vereesa blush. Thankfully, Alleria could not see, as she had walked over to Jaina and gently grabbed the twins by their ears, urging them to stop torturing Jaina and get to bed.

“I wouldn’t call that ‘torture,’” Jaina countered, still chuckling as she got to her feet and caught her breath.

Alleria just grunted and followed the boys to their room to ensure they got ready for bed. Jaina locked eyes with Vereesa, her face red from laughing. She chanced a look down the hallway, unable to see Alleria or the twins, and she moved quickly to Vereesa, giving her a peck on the cheek and a soft smile.

“So, next week, we’ll get dinner?”

Vereesa nodded. “We’ll talk over the weekend, get the details sorted.”

“All right.” Jaina kissed her cheek again, only to be pulled in for a quick kiss on the mouth, the two of them blushing fiercely, feeling like teenagers who had gotten away with something they should not have. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

They exchanged sweet, shy looks, then Jaina teleported away. Vereesa sucked in a breath, steadying herself, then made her way down the hall to her sons’ room. She smiled at the sight of Alleria leaning against the doorframe looking proud of herself. A quick glimpse inside the room revealed Giramar and Galadin snuggled under the blankets, seemingly already fast asleep.

Vereesa leaned against Alleria, welcoming her sister’s arm around her shoulders. “I can’t thank you enough for this.”

“They’re _terrors_ ,” Alleria declared with a huff, “but... they’re sweet sometimes, too. They set the table and washed dishes after dinner.”

Vereesa chuckled. “Sounds like you didn’t mind having them around...”

“I... well... no, I suppose I didn’t,” Alleria grumbled.

“You’re incredible with them and you’re a wonderful minn’da to Arator.” Vereesa caught Alleria’s gaze, noting the way her ears flicked back and went entirely red at the compliment. “Go on home, and I’ll pick up Arator bright and early tomorrow.”

Alleria lit up then, a wicked smile on her lips. “Turalyon and I have been looking forward to this for a _while_. An entire day to ourselves...” She shivered and hummed just a little mischievously and Vereesa gagged, prompting a chuckle. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Little Moon.” Alleria kissed her sister’s cheek, then left down the hallway, exiting through the front door.

Vereesa leaned against the doorframe that Alleria had vacated and watched her sons sleep, thinking about how kind and sweet Jaina had been with them, and how perfectly Jaina seemed to fit in with the family.

***

The next few weeks were a whirlwind of dates and stolen moments in between peace negotiations, duties in Kul Tiras, and parenting. Jaina and Vereesa treasured any private moments they had, often arriving to peace negotiations early to slip into an alcove and kiss feverishly until it was time to review documents and talk endlessly until it seemed as though an agreement would be reached, only to have it fall through at the last moment.

Their dates had been sweet, usually dinners cooked by Vereesa after the twins had been put to bed. They would eat and chat and kiss and hold each other until they reluctantly realized Jaina would need to head home before it got to be too late.

It seemed to be enough for both of them, at least for a while, until one night when they were snuggled together on Vereesa’s couch after dinner and a cup of coffee, and Jaina had boldly slipped a hand under Vereesa’s blouse, her fingers splaying out over the elf’s stomach. Vereesa was almost impossibly warm and Jaina left soft kisses up and down a pale, flushed neck as her hand smoothed over quivering muscles. She let her hand move up, fingertips grazing Vereesa’s ribs.

Vereesa sucked in a breath, feeling alternately excited and nervous. Rhonin had been the last person to touch her this way, and while she did not feel any guilt, she was still wracked by nerves and fear. It was compounded by the fact that her sons were sleeping a couple of rooms away, and if they woke up and raced to the living room, they would find their minn’da and someone they regarded as an aunt of sorts in a decidedly compromising position.

She considered suggesting they move to her bedroom, but that seemed too forward. Jaina may just be interested in kissing and some light, exploratory touches. There was also the matter of the master bedroom sharing a wall with the boys’ room, meaning they would need to be extremely quiet. Being quiet had been easy for her and Rhonin, but they had also had years of practice, years of knowing one another intimately. She and Jaina had yet to even see one another naked, let alone sleep together.

Her thoughts had run so wild that she almost missed when Jaina’s hand grazed one of her breasts through her bra.

“Oh!” she gasped, flinching away.

Jaina pulled back immediately, swallowing hard and standing, running a shaky hand through her tousled hair. She was flushed and panicking, stammering as she spoke. “I-I should get going. There are several ships coming in tomorrow, I-I need to be there to welcome them.”

Vereesa stood and draped her arms around Jaina’s neck, pressing against her, claiming her lips in a long kiss. Vereesa felt her friend slowly calm and relax in her arms.

“Tomorrow night,” she whispered, “I’ll have Alleria watch the boys and we—“

Jaina shook her head. “I’m going to be stuck at the Keep all day, I won’t be able to get away.”

Vereesa breathed a sigh of relief. She was afraid that her reaction to being touched had spooked Jaina, had made her friend shy away from wanting to be with her. It comforted her to know that Jaina was just a bit nervous, though unfortunately busy with work. She leaned close and brushed her lips against Jaina’s, an idea forming in her head.

“How about... I come to you?”

Jaina swallowed again, realizing she was nodding her assent. She flushed even further as she murmured, “O-okay.”

“I’ll swing by in the evening.” Vereesa’s heart began to pound in her chest, her face and ears warming, no doubt a deep red. “I’ll put the boys to bed for the night and I’ll come to the Keep for a while, and you can give me a portal back home.”

Jaina nodded again, closing her eyes when Vereesa kissed her, shivering at her friend’s gentle fingertips at the nape of her neck. She was nervous, despite how much she wanted and needed to be with Vereesa. She had been bold before in caressing her, filled with want, with pent-up frustration, and just wanting to touch someone intimately and be touched in the same manner.

She wondered if Vereesa felt the same. She wondered if Rhonin had been the last to touch her, or if she had found solace in others. She wondered if that was even her business. She quickly decided it was not, decided that it was also not important whether she was or was not Vereesa’s first after Rhonin.

This was theirs and theirs alone. Jaina did not want a ghost to haunt their new relationship and she imagined Vereesa felt the same.

Vereesa kissed her again, tongue exploring her mouth. Jaina tasted like the sugar in their coffee, mixed with just the slightest hint of salt from their dinner. She smelled like the ocean air, with just the slightest hint of freshly bloomed spring flowers.

Vereesa pulled back reluctantly, feeling warm and a little needy. Tomorrow evening seemed to be a lifetime away. Judging by the soft, bitten moan from Jaina that made goosebumps rise all over her arms and chest, she could tell her friend felt the same.

“Tomorrow?” Jaina asked, gazing at Vereesa through half-lidded eyes, their lips meeting again in the lightest of kisses.

“Tomorrow.”

Jaina nodded and flashed Vereesa a smile before teleporting away. Vereesa sank to the couch, breathing deeply and exhaling forcefully, tapping her feet anxiously on the carpet. It took her a moment to realize the time and that she should probably head to bed. She stood and collected the two empty coffee mugs from the table and headed to the kitchen, washing them up and letting them dry on the dish rack. She wiped her hands on a towel, yawning as she left the kitchen and made her way to the master bedroom. She closed the door and undressed, slipping into a modest nightgown.

She pulled back the covers, climbing into bed and lying on her back, staring at the ceiling. She rested a hand on her stomach, pretending that it was Jaina’s hand as she closed her eyes and let her fingers wander her curves over her gown. She felt a soft smile cross her lips and she fell asleep, dreaming of a pleasant ocean breeze and gentle waves lapping at the shore.

***

Jaina landed in her room and twirled a finger at a candle, lighting it and illuminating the space. She kicked off her sandals and unbuttoned and pulled off her blouse, then tugged down her trousers. She kept her underwear on and went to her dresser, regarding her figure in the mirror above it.

All the fighting and physical work she had been doing in the last year or so had toned up her muscles. She was still soft, still had gentle curves just begging to be caressed, but there was a little more definition now in her upper arms and her stomach and she liked it, liked being more fit.

She thought of Vereesa, thought of how the elf’s body had felt when she touched her. She had a lean archer’s body with toned arms and a toned stomach, similar to how Jaina looked now, but a bit more muscular than she. Vereesa also had curves, but they were a tad more subtle than her own, though no less lovely.

Her face warmed in the mirror and her neck and chest flushed as she replayed touching Vereesa over and over in her head, excited and very much looking forward to tomorrow evening. She merely needed to sleep through the night and then make it through the day then she and Vereesa would be alone, without the possibility of interruption from Vereesa’s little ones.

She unhooked her bra, then made her way over to her bed, one hand reaching up to tweak a nipple as she moaned softly. She buried herself under the covers, lying on her back with her eyes closed, tugging at a nipple with one hand and stroking her nervously excited fluttering stomach with the other.

Warm and content, she flipped onto her side, tucking her hands beneath her pillow. She fell asleep to the thought of a warm smile, brightly shining eyes, and long, flowing silver hair.

***

“Minn’da...”

Giramar’s voice next to her made Vereesa open one eye. The sun was just barely coming up outside her window and she groaned quietly, hoping her son could not hear it.

“Minn’da, we don’t feel so good...”

Her other eye snapped open and she sat up quickly, swinging her legs to the floor and pressing her hands to her sons’ foreheads. They were burning up. Galadin raised his arm and coughed into his elbow as Giramar raised his own and sneezed.

She frowned and rubbed their cheeks, looking at them sympathetically. “Go back to bed and I’ll bring you some hot tea and toast.” Her boys nodded, sniffling. “And a little medicine...”

To her surprise, her sons just nodded again and headed back to the hallway, without making a stink over the mention of medicine. She watched them go, palming her face at her bad luck. She wondered if it was a sign from the universe, a sign that she and Jaina should not be together, a sign that she should just mope around alone for the rest of her life.

She stood and shook her head.

No.

It was just an unfortunate occurrence, one that would pass in a day or so. She chuckled ruefully at her misfortune, looking out her window and groaning as the sun shone in.

“ _Belore..._ ”

***

Vereesa was thoroughly exhausted, but the boys were feeling somewhat better after resting most of the day. They had drank several cups of hot tea and had a couple doses of medicine along with some chicken soup. They were asleep and Vereesa had taken a little time for herself, slipping into a bath and putting on the same red dress and silver heels that she had worn during her picnic with Jaina weeks before.

She had previously sent word to Alleria, by way of a letter delivered by a raven, hoping that her sister would be available for the evening. Even if her sons were feeling better, even if they slept through the night, she did not dare leave them to convalesce alone.

She supposed she could have cancelled, sent word to Jaina that the boys were sick and she would need to stay home, but she had been looking forward to truly spending time alone with Jaina, without the possibility of interruptions. She deserved it, she thought. She rarely had time for herself as it was.

Not long after she had dressed, she heard a knock at the door, and she opened it to find Alleria giving her a sympathetic head tilt before walking inside.

“Thanks for coming on such short notice,” Vereesa said, pulling Alleria into a hug.

“Of course, Little Moon.” Alleria’s voice was soft, but she was pouting a bit. After a moment, she directed her gaze down the hall and groused, “I can’t _wait_ for your boys to give me some plague, or whatever it is they have...”

Vereesa pulled back and lightly rapped Alleria’s shoulder, earning her a smirk. “It’s only a bug and they’re already feeling much better. With any luck, they should be back to normal tomorrow, I just need some time away, and hopefully I’ve avoided catching it...”

“Where are you headed? You book a room at the Legerdemain?”

Vereesa bit her lip and answered, “Uh... actually, I’ll be... um... staying with Jaina...”

Alleria squinted at her, puzzled at how her sister spoke. “Why do you seem so nervous? You’ve known her for years, why—“ Her eyes went wide and Vereesa gulped and averted her gaze. “Is there something you want to tell me, Little Moon?”

Vereesa flushed, still avoiding her sister’s eyes. “Ah... well... for the last several weeks, Jaina and I have been... erm... spending some time together...”

Alleria raised an eyebrow and grasped Vereesa’s chin in her hand, peering into her sister’s eyes as her own widened further. “Are you two... dating?”

“I... yes. Yes, we’re dating.” Vereesa looked up into darkened eyes and she nearly shrank back. “It’s early,” she added quickly, “we’ve just had dinner every few nights, and talked.”

Alleria said nothing for a few moments as she searched her sister’s face. “How’s it going?” She was sporting a look of uncertainty, her eyes still dark.

Vereesa brightened, a smile tugging at her lips. “Jaina’s always been a close friend, and I’ve always appreciated her kindness and her warmth... her strength. I didn’t think I could feel...” She paused, breathing deeply and considering her words. “I didn’t think I could... _feel_... after Rhonin, but I’ve found something special with Jaina, and I’m... I’m _happy_.”

Tears crept into the corners of Vereesa’s eyes and her smile widened when she saw Alleria looking just a tad emotional herself.

“You light up,” Alleria noted, “when you talk about her. I haven’t seen you look like that since—“ She bit her tongue, cutting herself off. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“It’s fine.” Vereesa patted Alleria’s shoulder. “I’ll always miss him, and I’ll always have him in the boys, but I’m ready to start a new chapter.” She licked her lips and looked plaintively up at her sister. “I deserve to be happy... don’t I?”

Alleria sucked in a breath and swiped at her eyes. “Of course you do. That said...” She straightened up and cleared her throat, turning serious. The look she gave Vereesa was all business. “How’s she treating you?”

Vereesa tilted her head, giving Alleria a patient but disapproving look. Alleria tilted her head as well, hands on her hips, waiting for an answer. “She’s treating me well,” Vereesa said, “she’s kind and considerate.”

“Good.” Alleria nodded and folded her arms over her chest, pleased, at least for the moment. “Good,” she repeated, “I like Lady Proudmoore, I would hate to have to _kill_ her...”

Vereesa smiled as Alleria smirked and she drew her big sister into a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered, burying her face in Alleria’s neck.

Alleria chuckled. “For what?”

“For being a good big sister.”

Alleria exhaled sharply through her nose. “I don’t know about that. I feel like I have a lot to make up for.”

Vereesa just smiled as she pulled back. “I’ll be back tomorrow, bright and early.”

“No need to rush,” said Alleria, a teasing note in her voice.

Vereesa blushed, saying, “I still have two boys to take care of, I’m just allowing myself a tiny bit of respite...”

“They’ll still be here,” Alleria said, “and so will I.”

“Well, there’s leftover soup and plenty of tea should they wake up, but I think they’re knocked out for the night.” Vereesa moved to the door and opened it. “Thank you again,” she said with a soft smile.

Alleria shooed her out the door. “Get out of here and have a nice night.”

Vereesa grinned and shut the door behind her.

***

Jaina sighed as she took notes on more cargo that had arrived and was being offloaded. She had been doing it all day, along with greeting passengers as they disembarked. There was to be a big trade agreement meeting the following day, and those involved had been invited to come a day early, offered rooms and meals in Proudmoore Keep so that they would be well-fed and rested for the meeting.

Thankfully, the rooms were nowhere near Jaina’s, and in fact, her room was tucked away from everyone, down a long, empty hallway. She smiled to herself. She and Vereesa would have all the privacy in the world.

“Something amusing?”

Tandred’s voice startled her. He had been with her all day, but thinking of Vereesa now had made her lose track of everything, made her feel like she was young again, in some impossibly sweet romance. She turned to him, unable to hide the flush in her cheeks that crept down to her neck.

“No,” she said with a nervous lick of her lips, “just relieved we’re nearly done.”

Tandred raised an eyebrow, regarding his sister curiously. “Fair enough,” he said after a long moment, but he was doubtful of her words.

Jaina wrote some more notes as dockworkers unloaded more cargo. Her thoughts drifted again to Vereesa and soon she was smiling again, her face still warm.

“All right, something’s going on,” Tandred said, as the last of the boxes were brought off the final ship.

The dockworkers headed towards the Keep, wiping sweat off their foreheads, intent on refreshments and a well-deserved break. Jaina watched them go, then sat down on a crate, setting down her notes and quill. Tandred took a seat next to her, giving her a gentle nudge with his elbow.

He smiled and Jaina heaved a sigh, only mildly embarrassed that she had been found out. “So, who is he? There’s clearly _someone_ in your life, I know that look...”

“I’ve been spending time with a friend the last few weeks,” Jaina said. “It’s been nice.”

“Do I know this friend of yours?” Tandred appeared rather gleeful and Jaina just gave him a look.

“You’ve probably seen her at some point, but—“

“‘Her’?” Tandred questioned, but his voice was full of genuine surprise, with no judgment to be found. Jaina just nodded and he chuckled. “Sounds like a lot’s changed since before you brought me back with all our ships and crews.”

Jaina grinned and Tandred gave her a lopsided smile. “Her name’s Vereesa and I’ve known her for years. We’ve always been close, just never like this until recently. She’s incredibly sweet and kind and... she makes me happy.”

“Well, it’s nice to see you smile.”

Jaina nodded and stood and Tandred stood as well. “I need to get ready for tonight. When she arrives, would you mind making sure she finds my room?”

“Not at all,” he said, “though I think there’s still some paperwork to be done that Mother is handling. I’ll try to run interference if she asks after you, but I make no promises. You know how that woman gets...” He smirked and quirked an eyebrow at her.

“I do,” Jaina chuckled, “hopefully I won’t be needed. This was already a dreadfully long day.”

“It was, at that.” Tandred patted her shoulder. “Go get gussied up, I’ll make sure your Vereesa finds you.”

Sincerely, she murmured, “Thanks,” and tugged him into a brief hug.

They separated and she teleported directly to her room, beginning to peel off her clothes, matted to her skin from sweating all day in the hot sun. She cast a ward on her door, preventing entry and ensuring her privacy. Down to her underwear, she wandered into her bathroom to start the water, then came back out to her wardrobe to pull out the outfit she had chosen to wear.

The night before, she had decided on the dress she had worn during the lunch they had shared during the Love is in the Air celebration, the flowy lavender dress with sea foam accents and sandals to match. She laid the dress out on her bed, then chewed nervously on her lip as she selected a lace bra and panties, both the color of the sea, and put them with her dress.

Satisfied, she went back into the bathroom and shut off the water. She stripped out of her underwear and stepped into the water, humming as its warmth soothed her tired muscles. She leaned back and lathered up, her eyes closing as visions of Vereesa danced in her head.

***

Vereesa arrived through several portals and then a small boat captained by a particularly rugged Kul Tiran. His neck was thicker than a beef roast and his chest may as well have been a barrel. He spoke in a thick accent and Vereesa politely nodded along as he regaled her with tales of his time at sea.

Any other time and she might have given him her full attention, but she was eager to arrive at Proudmoore Keep to see Jaina. So she smiled and nodded and quickly paid him when he docked the boat, carefully stepping onto the dock, mindful of her dress and heels.

She walked towards the gates, a spring in her step as she tucked her hair behind her ear. She gazed up at the Keep with a smile, thoughts of Jaina running through her mind.

***

Jaina had finished her bath, dressed, and popped down to the kitchens to quickly fill a picnic basket of meats and cheeses, plus crackers and various desserts, as well as the same vintage of wine they had shared the night they first kissed. 

With everything in order, Jaina swiftly teleported back to her room. She had yet to see her mother and she assumed Katherine was busy with the paperwork Tandred had mentioned and perhaps with getting all of their guests settled into their rooms.

Jaina ran a hand through her hair and sat down on her bed, nerves starting to get the better of her. She clenched her shaking hands, suddenly afraid of what spending the evening with Vereesa meant. If nothing else, it meant that their friendship would be considerably altered, though hopefully not ruined.

If things continued to progress well, if they began to feel deeply about one another, they would eventually need to tell the boys. She worried what they may think. She thought about the tickle fight she had engaged in with them the night of the picnic. They had been so excited to see her, to see someone they regarded as an aunt, but how would they react if she moved into a stepmother figure? Would they resent her for taking their father’s place in their lives? Or would they recognize that Vereesa was happy and wanted to share that happiness?

She shook her head, forcing herself to focus only on Vereesa, how much she was looking forward to seeing her friend. As if on cue, there was a knock on her door and she stood quickly, _too_ quickly, and she rubbed her temple to soothe her head rush.

She walked to the door, waving away the ward, and opened it, flushing immediately and smiling shyly at Vereesa, the elf smiling back. They both turned to Tandred who gave them a nod and a sweet salute, then disappeared down the hall.

“Hi,” Jaina whispered, extending a hand.

“Hi,” Vereesa whispered back, grasping the offered hand. “The boys woke up sick this morning, so I spent the day taking care of them. Alleria’s with them now, so I’ve got the night off to relax.”

Jaina moved back to allow her entry, then shut the door and recast the ward. “Are all of you all right?” she asked worriedly.

Vereesa waved a hand. “It’s just some little thing,” she assured her, “I actually avoided catching it. They’ll be just fine.”

Jaina nodded, relieved, and pointed to a table near a plush couch where she had placed the basket.

“So, I figured we could have some food and maybe a little wine and then—“

Vereesa cut her off with a burning kiss, hands slipping into her hair. Jaina closed her eyes, her hands settling in on Vereesa’s hips, against the soft silk of the red dress that Jaina barely had time to recognize as the one from their previous picnic.

As Vereesa moved them towards the bed, Jaina broke their kiss to murmur awkwardly, “Orrr not... We can eat later. I’m flexible.”

Vereesa gave her a wicked look and Jaina flushed, stammering what she meant. Vereesa just grinned and silenced her with another kiss. Jaina welcomed it, and she lifted her hands to tug down the zipper of Vereesa’s dress. She worried she was being a bit too forward, but the way Vereesa leaned into her and nibbled on her lip, then slipped a warm tongue into her mouth, moaning softly, told her that Vereesa was more than ready to be with her.

Vereesa shrugged out of her dress and slipped off her heels, revealing soft lingerie the color of pink roses. Her dress fell to the floor, forgotten, as she pushed Jaina next to the bed, reaching for the zipper on the dress that Vereesa noted was the one Jaina had worn for their picnic. She smiled against Jaina’s lips, thinking there had to be at least some significance to them being on the same wavelength as far as what they had chosen to wear.

She pressed further against Jaina, moaning when Jaina’s hands began to explore, running over her stomach, then up to her breasts, cupping one in warm fingers. Jaina broke their kiss to lean towards her neck, lips running along pale, heated skin.

 _Belore_ , Vereesa thought, as she became utterly lost in Jaina’s touch. She found herself wishing she had pursued Jaina before, even though neither of them could have expected anything quite like this after years of just being friends. It had been a wonderful turn of events and Vereesa could not be happier.

There was still a major issue to address, Vereesa knew, and that was how Giramar and Galadin would react, if they would accept this new relationship. She could not imagine they would turn Jaina away, as they had known her for years as a family friend and pseudo aunt. Even so, if they did not approve, Vereesa knew she would need to accept that and take a step back to reevaluate, and hope that eventually her sons would accept Jaina further into their lives.

If they did not, she and Jaina would likely be forced to return to their old friendship. The boys had been through much, and Vereesa would not make them uncomfortable with a relationship of which they did not approve.

She was getting ahead of herself, she knew. She and Jaina had shared meals and talks and kisses, and had just begun to embark on something new, something far more than what they had previously shared. That was what tonight was about, and the longer Jaina lightly touched and kissed her, the more excited she became.

She pulled down Jaina’s zipper, the dress falling to the floor in a heap. She gently pulled away from Jaina’s roaming mouth, noting how flushed her friend was, warming at the way Jaina panted softly, her eyes half-lidded and full of desire. She brushed her lips over Jaina’s in a quick kiss, then leaned down, pressing soft kisses to Jaina’s equally flushed neck and chest.

Jaina breathed shakily, her hands running through long silver hair, as Vereesa buried her face between her breasts, warm lips caressing her skin, leaving behind soft kisses. Jaina felt just the slightest hint of fang over the tops of her breasts and she welcomed the new feeling, welcomed this new side of Vereesa.

Vereesa licked and gently sucked plush breasts, still snuggled safely in their bra. Vereesa was in no rush to free them, quite liking how they looked in lovely lace, how they glistened with her saliva in the candlelight. She pressed a palm to Jaina’s stomach, her fingers teasing the muscles she found there.

She tentatively let that hand move down, let it tug at the matching lace of Jaina’s panties. She looked up when she felt Jaina shiver, felt her move closer. There was a whimper, too, quiet and pleading, and Vereesa realized Jaina needed her as much as she needed Jaina.

She wondered if Jaina had been with anyone after Kalec. She decided it was not her business, decided it did not matter. All that mattered were the sounds of want at the back of Jaina’s throat, the way her eyes closed when Vereesa touched the soft mound just inside her panties, fingers brushing the light curls there, and the way Vereesa’s name left her lips in a strangled cry as she rolled her hips forward, wanting—craving—more.

Vereesa was more than happy to oblige, her fingers sliding down slowly, teasingly, drawing out pleading moans that excited Vereesa even more than she already was.

Jaina stroked the back of Vereesa’s neck, her entire body feeling pleasantly warm, her heart hammering in her chest, a nervous, fluttering feeling in her stomach. _Tides_ , she needed this, and she and Vereesa had only barely put their hands on one another.

“Touch me,” she whispered, and she wondered if she sounded like she was begging. She felt like she might be, but she did not care. She just wanted more... more touches, more kisses, more... _everything_. Just more Vereesa.

Vereesa nodded almost imperceptibly at the request, gently nipping at Jaina’s lower lip then kissing her as she moved her hand further down into Jaina’s panties. Jaina whimpered into her mouth, and just as Vereesa was sliding her finger over slick nether lips, there was a knock at the door and a woman’s voice.

“Jaina?”

Jaina winced at her mother’s voice, wincing further when Vereesa reluctantly pulled her hand away.

“Yes?” Jaina called, a deep frown on her lips. Vereesa attempted to soothe her with kisses against her neck and Jaina closed her eyes, waiting to hear what her mother required of her.

“I need you to sign off on some documents, sweetheart.”

“Is it important?”

Katherine scoffed rather loudly outside the door and Jaina’s brow furrowed as she awaited the answer she already knew.

“What sort of question is that?” Katherine all but spat. “Yes, it’s _important_ , if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be bothering you, now would I?”

Vereesa brought a hand to her face to stifle her snort of laughter as Jaina closed her eyes in frustration, leaning her forehead against Vereesa’s.

“Everything’s going wrong,” Jaina lamented.

“Is it?” Vereesa questioned, one eyebrow raised. “It’s just a little bump in the road. Sign those papers and it’s smooth sailing after that.”

Jaina grinned at Vereesa’s mixed metaphors, finding it cuter than she could possibly say. “Okay,” she whispered, “I’ll be right back... I hope.”

“You will,” Vereesa insisted, pulling her into a kiss. She knelt and gathered Jaina’s dress, helping her slip back into it. “I’m just going to lay down and rest my eyes while you’re gone.”

Jaina nodded and they kissed again, and Jaina was suddenly aware of a tapping foot just outside her door. Vereesa slipped into bed, under the covers, and Jaina waved away the ward on her door. She opened the door just enough to slip through and closed it behind her.

“Let’s get this over with,” she groaned, beginning to walk down the hall. She ignored the pointed look her mother gave her as Katherine gave her a discerning once over.

“You look... _fancy_... for an evening at home.”

Jaina bit the inside of her cheek, feeling grateful that Tandred had evidently not shared that she was on a date, but wondering how she would explain her attire to her mother. She wondered if she should just be honest and worry later about the incredible shock she imagined her mother would have at the news.

She decided to be partially truthful. “I have a friend visiting tonight,” she said. “Her sons are sick, so she’s staying with me to avoid catching what they have.”

“I see.” Katherine rubbed Jaina’s arm affectionately as they descended the stairs. “Well, that’s very kind of you. The signings won’t take long, and you’ll be able to get back to your friend.”

“Thank you,” Jaina murmured, perhaps a bit more sincerely than was necessary. She hoped her mother would not pick up on it.

Katherine regarded her daughter a mite curiously, then shook it off and led her to a planning room on the Keep’s ground floor. They were surrounded by slightly irritated faces, everyone clearly wanting the documents to be signed off on so they could get some rest.

Jaina tried to hide her sigh as she walked up to a long table, her eyes falling on stacks of documents and two quills with inkwells. She glanced at her mother and they exchanged weary looks, settling in to sign the papers.

***

After a short while, Vereesa was feeling tired and ready for a nap. Jaina was still working and Vereesa was wishing her friend would be back soon so they could continue where they had left off. She hummed softly, imagining her hands on Jaina and Jaina’s hands on her.

She smiled, thinking about how close they had grown in the past few weeks. Despite how long they had been friends, they were still finding out new things about one another, growing as individuals and as partners. They had expressed a friendly love for one another during their picnic, but the more time they spent together, the more fond of Jaina she became.

Their friendly love seemed to be slowly turning into romantic love and she thought about her boys again, thought about how they would react to her and Jaina becoming close. She kept her thoughts positive, hoping and believing that her sons would accept Jaina having a larger role in their lives.

She closed her eyes, thinking of adding another member to her family. As she drifted off, she smiled, willing Jaina to return.

***

“Tides...” Jaina muttered as she laid down her quill and passed her mother the final document.

Katherine signed it and Jaina gave everyone nods and prepared to teleport away, not wanting to walk.

“Hold on,” Katherine said, grasping Jaina’s arm and leading her away. “I have a question and I’d like you to be honest with me.” Jaina swallowed and nodded, deeply nervous. “You said you have a friend over, that she’s staying here to avoid falling ill, but... you’re dressed as if you’re going out, or perhaps... enjoying a... _romantic_ night in...”

“I...” Jaina began, her face uncomfortably warm, “I’ve been... seeing... a friend for the last few weeks. We’ve been getting dinner and talking and... seeing where it goes.”

Katherine softened, rubbing Jaina’s arm again. Kindly, she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It’s something new and exciting and scary, and I’ve known her for years and I don’t want to mess it up,” Jaina admitted, the words tumbling out of her mouth.

Katherine smiled and cupped Jaina’s cheek in her hand. “My love, you will be fine, and so will your friend, and you two will figure it out together.”

Jaina was surprised and touched by her mother’s words and she licked her lips, feeling unexpectedly emotional. She drew her mother into a hug, closing her eyes and relaxing at her mother’s arms going around her. “Thank you,” she whispered, even more sincerely than before.

“Mhm,” Katherine hummed as she pulled back. She tucked the lock of gold behind her daughter’s ear. “Go see your friend, and I’ll see you tomorrow for the meeting.”

Jaina nodded as she finally teleported back to her room. The candles had just about gone out and Jaina smiled softly upon seeing Vereesa curled up in bed beneath thick blankets. She kicked off her sandals and reached behind her back to tug down her zipper, letting her dress fall to the floor. She shivered as she climbed into bed, snuggling under the covers.

She was still smiling when she kissed Vereesa’s bare shoulder, running her fingers ever so gently through tousled silver hair. “Vereesa?” she whispered, kissing her shoulder again. “I’m back. Sorry it took so long, there were a _ton_ of papers to sign.”

There was no response, only the soothing sound of Vereesa’s even breathing. Jaina pouted just a little, but she could not deny how adorably sweet Vereesa looked as she slept. Jaina felt her eyelids drooping out of exhaustion and she scooted closer to Vereesa, tucking her nose into the back of her friend’s neck and draping her arm over a curvy hip.

She closed her eyes, content to fall asleep next to the woman she was growing to love as more than a friend.

***

Vereesa awakened early the next morning, gently extricating herself from Jaina’s arms and sitting up, careful not to wake her sweetly slumbering friend. She reached a hand to Jaina’s hair, running her fingers through the strands. Jaina stirred only slightly, just long enough to bury her face in her pillow, snoring quietly.

Vereesa lifted her free hand to her mouth to suppress her chuckle of amusement, a chuckle that quickly turned into a cough. She bit her tongue against the curse that immediately entered her head.

No.

She was not sick.

There was just... a frog in her throat, that was all.

She coughed again and Jaina stirred once more. She breathed in, finding her throat sore and her nose stuffed up. She sniffled, trying to clear it, and clenched the hand by her mouth into a fist. She moved her other hand away from Jaina’s hair, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips when Jaina whined at the loss, still mostly asleep.

Vereesa swallowed and found herself coughing again, shaking her head, growing frustrated. She wanted nothing more than to spend the morning in Jaina’s arms before going back to the boys, but that was clearly not in the cards.

Jaina finally opened her eyes, gazing up at Vereesa leaning back against the headboard, still clad in just her underwear. Jaina’s breath caught at the sight and she gasped when Vereesa dissolved into a coughing fit. She sat up quickly, slipping an arm around her friend’s shoulders.

“Guess you got sick after all, huh?” Jaina said, a gentle smile on her lips. Vereesa turned to her and sniffled, closing her eyes when Jaina pulled her close.

“I don’t want to get you sick,” Vereesa protested, though she was feeling too weak to move away.

“I’ll be all right.” Jaina ran comforting fingers through Vereesa’s hair as she whispered, “I’ll make you some tea and you can munch on some crackers for now. I’ll make you soup later for lunch.”

Vereesa could only nod, covering her mouth as she coughed again. Jaina kissed her temple and started to get up from bed when she sat back down with a gasp, feeling dizzy. She looked at Vereesa, her eyes widening a bit. Vereesa tilted her head, a sad and sympathetic look on her face.

Jaina stood again, feeling somewhat better, hoping that perhaps she had just gotten to her feet too quickly. She wandered into her bathroom and came back out wrapping herself in a thick, comfortable robe. She picked up the picnic basket from the table by the couch and set it on Vereesa’s lap.

“I’ll be right back with your—“ Jaina was forced to interrupt herself when she felt her nose wrinkle and tense up. “With your—“ She sniffled, her nose twitching in a rather irritating fashion. “With your tea,” she finished, oddly proud of herself.

Vereesa was chuckling. “Thank you.”

Jaina nodded and began to make her way to her bedroom door, waving away the ward. She put her hand on the knob, feeling her nose twitch again.

No.

She could not _possibly_ be sick as well...

That would just be too unlucky, bordering on tragic...

She shook her head and took a deep breath as she opened the door...

And sneezed.

“ _TIDES_!”

“ _BELORE_!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were expecting sexytimes, I’m sorry! When I started writing this second bit, I instantly had the idea that things would get in the way of that and I loved the idea of them both getting sick.
> 
> Again, I’ll probably write more if I get another idea, and damn is it scaring me how easy and natural and thoroughly enjoyable it is to write these two. I completely adore writing Sylvaina, but I’m really loving J/V as well. >.<
> 
> Hope it was fun! Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, the rating changed. Gosh, whatever could that mean?*

Jaina turned back to Vereesa and the two exchanged tired, resigned looks. Hand still on the knob, Jaina said again, “I’ll be right back... I hope.”

Vereesa nodded and Jaina pulled her robe tighter around her, leaving the room and quietly shutting her door. Sniffling and coughing, she padded morosely down the hall, remembering in her foggy haze that she could teleport. Groaning and covering her face with her hand, she concentrated and teleported to the kitchen, finding her mother sitting at a stool by the counter sipping coffee and looking over documents.

Jaina grabbed an empty kettle on the stove and filled it with water, setting it back down on the range and snapping her fingers to light the wood beneath. She ignored the pointed look her mother was giving her, eyebrows raised over the mug in her hands.

Jaina leaned against the counter, folding her arms over her chest and shivering despite her robe and the stove’s heat. She sniffled and cleared her throat. “I’m sick.”

Katherine huffed a laugh and Jaina turned to her with a sharp glare. “I’ve raised three children, sweetheart. I can tell when you’re sick.”

Jaina sighed, shaking her head, still somewhat in disbelief that both she and Vereesa had ended up ill. “Once I got back to my room, I found my friend already asleep. I fell asleep too, and when we woke up this morning, that’s when we both realized.”

Katherine set down her coffee and stood, moving to a cabinet and selecting two mugs. She moved to another cabinet and withdrew tea bags, sugar, and honey, setting everything down on the counter while she grabbed spoons from a nearby drawer. She pressed a hand to Jaina’s forehead, murmuring to herself under her breath, then fixed Jaina with a gentle smile. She tapped her daughter’s hip and pointed to a stool, and Jaina tiredly nodded and sat down, her elbows on the counter, hands propping up her chin. She found her thoughts drifting to the boys and Alleria, hoping that the twins were feeling better and Alleria had managed to avoid getting sick as well.

She gazed off into the distance, thinking about the time she had spent with Giramar and Galadin over the years and recently. She thought they were a bit of a handful, but that they were also caring and sweet, perfectly representative of their parents.

She thought briefly about Arthas, about the Winter Veil ball when she was not yet twenty, about what she had believed to be a lighthearted conversation between them about children, only to have him scared off. She still wanted kids, still wanted to be a mother at some point in her life. She looked down, feeling unexpectedly emotional, swallowing uncomfortably when her mother turned to her with a concerned look.

“What’s on your mind, sweetheart?”

Jaina felt her lower lip quiver, her mother’s incredibly kind voice making her want to spill everything that she felt. She managed to rein herself in, saying softly, “I’m just thinking about my friend’s kids.”

Katherine perked up. “Oh?”

Jaina nodded. “I hope they’re feeling better. Their aunt is staying with them, I hope she didn’t get sick.”

“What are the kids like?” Katherine asked, and Jaina looked up, finding her mother with an inquisitive, but quite kind, expression.

Jaina could not hide the smile that pulled at the corners of her mouth, could not hide the warmth in her cheeks as she spoke. “Twin boys, ten years old. They’re kind and sweet, perhaps a bit too active sometimes, but... they’re kids and they should be, I think.”

Katherine smiled, too. “I think so, too. You and your brothers certainly had a lot of energy when you were young.” She smiled further and added with a chuckle, “You’re still plenty active, I’d say.”

“I like them,” Jaina blurted, and she felt sheepish. “I-I mean, they’re good kids, you know? I’m fortunate to have been able to be in their lives the last few years, as an aunt of sorts.”

Katherine opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, thinking. Just the look on her daughter’s face told her how much Jaina longed to be a mother someday. She felt briefly overcome, realizing she was getting far ahead of herself, but wanting her daughter to be happy, to have this new relationship work out.

“I bought them a puzzle,” Jaina said brightly, “just a silly thing with murlocs that I found at the toy shop in Dalaran, but they were so grateful and excited. We put it together after they finished their homework one night and we’ve taken it apart and rebuilt it several times. I’ve gotten them other things, too, books and such, but they really like that puzzle.” Her cheeks were warm again, her smile deepening.

“Sounds like they’re quite fond of you,” Katherine whispered, her heart feeling full.

“I’m quite fond of them, too,” Jaina whispered back, meeting her mother’s gaze.

They shared sweet looks, full of hope for the future, interrupted only when the kettle let out a loud whistle, bringing out startled chuckles from both of them. They did not speak further about the boys, the two of them content to sit with their thoughts. Katherine poured the water, dipping the tea bags and adding a bit of sugar and honey. She stirred both mugs, leaving a spoon in each and placed one mug in front of Jaina. “Drink up.”

Jaina shook her head. “I have to get back.”

Katherine nodded and grabbed a tray, setting both steaming mugs upon it and setting it near Jaina. “All right. For lunch, I’ll see about making that special soup that you loved when you were young. For now, drink your tea and get some rest.”

“Thank you, Mother,” Jaina said sincerely, slowly standing and picking up the tray.

“I’m sorry your night didn’t go as planned.” Katherine gave her a sympathetic look.

Jaina smiled as she shrugged her shoulders. “All things considered, I don’t think I’ve slept that well in a long time. Just unfortunate we both woke up sick.”

“Silver lining, at least,” Katherine acknowledged. “Well, go back to bed and nap for a while. I’ll be up later with lunch, and don’t worry about the meeting today. Tandred and I can take care of it.”

Jaina, in her weakened state, had nearly forgotten about the meeting. “Set a second one for tomorrow. I should be able to make that one and I’d like to at least put in an appearance.”

“Of course,” Katherine said with a nod. “In the meantime, I hope you and your friend feel better.”

“‘Vereesa,’” Jaina supplied and Katherine’s eyes lit up in recognition.

Katherine knew of Vereesa and the other two Windrunner sisters, knew of the tragedy at Theramore and how Vereesa’s husband had perished, but Jaina did not speak about it much and Katherine knew it was not her place to pry. Jaina merely nodded her farewell and teleported to her room.

Vereesa met her gaze when she arrived and shivered as Jaina set down the tray on the bed. She watched Jaina disappear into the bathroom and emerge with another robe that she happily slipped into, then settled back into bed. She grabbed a mug of tea and took a cautious sip after blowing on the steaming liquid.

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” she murmured, taking another sip.

Jaina settled in beside her, moving the tray to her bedside table and sipping her own tea. It was delicious and soothing and warmed her considerably. Vereesa leaned on her and she closed her eyes.

“How long do you think we’ll be sick?”

Vereesa kissed her shoulder and sighed. “The boys were feeling better yesterday, but I don’t know if that’ll still hold true when I go home today.” She sipped her tea. “I should really get back and see how everyone’s doing. Hopefully Alleria didn’t get sick...”

“I’m sure everyone’s fine,” Jaina said, then added ruefully, “everyone except us...”

Vereesa chuckled and smothered a cough with her hand. “It’s just a cold, Jaina. The boys tend to get them often, from being around other kids when they’re at school.”

“How do you deal with it?” Jaina asked curiously. “With work, with them being sick, with you getting sick, too?”

“The same way every mother does, Jaina,” Vereesa said patiently, stroking Jaina’s arm over the long sleeve of her robe. “You just power through it. Drink plenty of liquids, eat light meals, take medicine, get rest, and stay positive. I’m sure your mother did the same with you and your brothers.”

Jaina felt sheepish as she took another swig of tea. Vereesa was right, of course she was. Jaina was overreacting, feeling as though the world was caving in on her. It was a cold, that was all. And yet, she was frustrated because she and Vereesa had been robbed of a night alone, a night they both needed. She began thinking of the previous night, of the kisses, the touches, Vereesa’s hand between her legs...

And _Tides_ , did she ever need her.

She forced those thoughts away. They would find time to make up for the lost night, she knew they would.

“‘Just a cold,’” she repeated softly. Vereesa murmured her agreement. “We’ll feel better soon.”

“Yes, we will.”

Jaina nuzzled Vereesa’s hair, kissing her temple. She smiled when Vereesa hummed softly and she set down her tea, then laid down and snuggled under the blankets, resting her head on her pillow. Vereesa did the same and Jaina moved slightly to press against her back, hand resting on her hip.

Vereesa tucked the covers under her chin, thinking about how adorably worried Jaina was about something that she barely gave a second thought. It highlighted the main difference between them, the difference of her being a mother and Jaina not being one. Things that came second nature to Vereesa were things that Jaina never had to worry about—not until now—and she imagined the opposite was true as well.

As she lay in Jaina’s arms, she thought about the way their lives would eventually intersect, assuming everything went well, assuming the boys fully accepted Jaina. She knew she would learn a great deal from Jaina and she hoped she would be able to impart some wisdom and knowledge to her as well. They would grow together, even more than they already had, and Vereesa found herself looking forward to it.

Eventually, they would even find time for each other, time where they could be wrapped in one another’s arms and not be stricken with colds or other annoyances. Her face and body warmed at the thought, and a slow smile crossed her lips. As she drifted off, she grasped the hand on her hip and linked their fingers together, holding Jaina’s hand tight.

***

True to her word, Katherine arrived later with a tray containing two hot bowls of soup, along with more tea, a pitcher of water, and two doses of medicine. She knocked once and entered her daughter’s room, carefully holding the tray. She closed the door, her lips turning up in a slight smile at Jaina and Vereesa buried under blankets, sound asleep.

She set down the tray on a dresser and walked quietly over to Jaina’s bed, nudging her daughter’s shoulder. “Wake up, sweetheart.”

Jaina stirred, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she groggily sat up. She regarded her mother with a tired smile, then turned and patted Vereesa’s shoulder, leaning down and whispering to her to wake up.

Vereesa opened her eyes and sat up as well, leaning against Jaina as she tried to fully rouse herself. She glanced up, spotting an older woman she did not recognize, but to whom Jaina bore a rather uncanny resemblance, and she realized the woman must be Jaina’s mother. She shivered despite the heavy robe and blankets and gave the woman as much of an appreciative look as she could muster, given how tired and sick she still felt.

“It’s nice to meet you, Vereesa,” Katherine said, smiling softly.

Jaina covered her mouth to cough and murmured, “Vereesa, this is my mother, Katherine.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Vereesa said, sniffling.

Katherine withdrew a handkerchief from a pouch on her belt and passed it to Vereesa with a kind look. Vereesa mumbled her thanks and wiped her nose as Katherine turned around to retrieve the tray from the dresser. She brought it over and set it down on Jaina’s lap, tutting when Jaina began to dig into the soup. Jaina looked up sheepishly, her mouth full of noodles and vegetables in a deliciously herbed broth. She chewed and swallowed as her mother waved a small cup of medicine in front of her, taking it and downing it quickly.

Katherine handed the other cup to Vereesa who drank it down then reached for a mug of tea. As she set it down, she turned to Jaina with a sad look. “Alleria’s probably going crazy being with the boys this long... I really do need to get home.”

“Nonsense,” said Katherine. “Stay here, eat your soup and rest. I can take care of whatever needs doing.”

Vereesa felt overcome with gratitude. Jaina reached out a hand, casting a portal to Vereesa’s front door. Katherine nodded to both of them, a kind twinkle in her eye, and stepped through. She knocked on the door when she emerged, calling out, “Ms. Windrunner? It’s Katherine Proudmoore, Jaina’s mother.”

The door opened, revealing a harried Alleria and her two very hyper nephews. “Is Vereesa okay?” she asked worriedly, wringing her hands. Almost as an afterthought—though not an intentional one—she added sheepishly, “And Jaina?”

Katherine smiled. “Vereesa’s fine, well, not exactly... She and Jaina fell ill overnight, but they’re both resting and recovering.”

Alleria breathed a deep sigh of relief, calming as she laid her hands on her nephews’ shoulders. “At least this bug or whatever it is doesn’t last long.” She nodded towards the boys. “All better after a day.”

“That’s good news, indeed,” said Katherine, “and it seems you avoided getting sick.”

“I think I just got lucky,” Alleria breathed. “Good thing, too, I’m not very pleasant to be around when I’m not feeling well...” Under her breath, she added, “Or in general...”

“What was that?” Katherine quirked an eyebrow.

“Nothing,” Alleria said, just a bit too brightly. “I’m just grateful not to be ill.” She raised a hand to her mouth in an attempt to stifle a yawn, drawing a concerned look from Katherine.

“Have you slept?”

“A little,” she admitted with another yawn. “They woke up a few times during the night, so I heated up leftovers for them. I took a nap a bit ago, but I suppose I’m still tired.”

“Go rest,” Katherine said kindly, “I’ll keep an eye on these rascals.”

“You don’t have to,” Alleria protested, but she was yawning again and swaying slightly on her feet. “O-okay, maybe I could just lie down for a little while...”

“Mhm.”

“Thank you.” Alleria moved to the couch, sinking down onto it and curling up on her side.

Katherine walked over and draped the quilt from the back of the couch over her. “Sleep well, Alleria, and... it’s nice to meet you.”

Alleria smiled as she closed her eyes. “You as well.”

Katherine turned to the boys and they exchanged brief introductions as Alleria began to drift off. “All right, what do you two like to do for fun?”

“Giramar got a train set a couple of years ago that we like to take apart and put back together,” said Galadin.

“A train set, huh?” Katherine smiled. “That sounds neat.”

“We’ve been putting a puzzle together, too,” Giramar added. Somewhat sheepishly, he added, “Me and Galadin really like taking things apart and putting them back together.”

Katherine brightened, thinking of what her daughter had mentioned earlier, about the puzzle she had given them. “Could I help?”

The boys grinned widely, positively beaming. “Yeah!”

Katherine followed when they excitedly took off, finding herself a few moments later in a room that reminded her of one she had always wanted as a child, a place that was a total playground. There were also two desks set up along with books and papers with scrawled handwriting.

The boys pointed out a long table with a partially built train set and another with a half-completed puzzle, a puzzle featuring several murlocs. With another glance at their desks, she put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at the twins. “Boys... do you have schoolwork to do?”

Giramar and Galadin exchanged somewhat guilty looks. “Noo...?”

“Uh huh,” said Katherine. “Come on now, work first, then play.”

“Aunt Jaina says the same thing,” said Galadin, as Katherine’s eyes widened just a little. “She helps us with our homework when she comes over and sometimes she brings gifts.”

“She spoils us, Minn’da says,” Giramar said with a giggle, “but I don’t think she minds too much. She’s always really happy when Aunt Jaina’s here.”

“Yeah!” added Galadin. “We always see Minn’da smiling. She’s usually pretty happy, but it’s different with Aunt Jaina.”

Katherine swallowed and discreetly wiped her eyes. “That’s wonderful to hear,” she managed, emotion in her throat.

“Aunt Jaina is so nice to us.”

“We love having her around.”

Katherine just nodded, not trusting herself to speak for the moment. She had not expected them to be so forthcoming with how they felt about having her daughter in their lives, and it was a bit overwhelming, albeit heartwarming and wonderful.

She walked over to one of the desks, grabbing a spare chair as she went. She sat down and patted a book on the desk, motioning the boys over. To her surprise, they bounded over and sat down immediately, picking up their quills and beginning to work.

As she watched them, checking for mistakes, she found herself wondering if this was how it might feel to have grandchildren one day.

***

Jaina finished eating her soup and took a long drink of tea. She set the bowl aside and watched Vereesa slowly eat. Jaina gave her a nudge with her elbow. “I’m sure everything’s fine.”

“Your mother’s been gone for a while...” Vereesa pointed out, chewing on her lip.

Jaina chuckled. “It hasn’t been that long.”

“What could possibly be happening?” She nodded towards the portal. “Should we go check?”

Jaina slipped an arm around Vereesa’s shoulder, running a soothing hand through her hair. “Nope.”

“Are you sure? You know how the boys can be. I worry for your mother.”

“She raised three children, remember? She can handle herself.”

Vereesa opened her mouth to reply, but was silenced by a sweet kiss. She returned Jaina’s smile, enjoying the role reversal. She was worried now and Jaina was calm, and she appreciated how they balanced each other out. She gratefully accepted another kiss, feeling just the slightest bit better after the medicine, soup, and tea.

“We...should be feeling better tomorrow, right?” Jaina husked, fingering the fabric of Vereesa’s robe.

“Mhm,” Vereesa murmured, stealing a kiss. “The boys have been wanting to go to a sleepover at a friend’s place for a little while now, so assuming the details get worked out and the boys aren’t still sick, I’ll have the night off.”

Jaina could not suppress the sudden moan that left her lips, flushing when Vereesa chuckled at the sound. “We better be feeling well tomorrow,” she said breathlessly, “that’s all I have to say...”

They kissed until they began to feel tired, then snuggled back down under the blankets for another nap, pleasant thoughts of spending the following night in each other’s arms running through their heads.

***

Katherine emerged back through the portal after a few hours with the boys. She had helped them with their schoolwork and assisted in rebuilding (and happily playing with) the train set. They had also put together Jaina’s murloc puzzle along with several others. She had fed them crackers for a snack while Alleria slept, then gently woke her later so she could join them for dinner.

The four had shared leftover soup and some light conversation, the boys eagerly telling their aunt how much they had enjoyed themselves with Katherine, doing schoolwork and then building their train set and puzzles, Katherine beaming as they talked excitedly. When dinner was over, Alleria had directed the boys to wash the dishes while she and Katherine chatted briefly near Jaina’s portal.

“Thanks for coming over,” Alleria had said, “I certainly needed that nap.”

“Of course,” Katherine had said kindly. “Vereesa and Jaina will probably be feeling better soon, and I imagine Vereesa can come home tonight or early tomorrow morning once the cold has officially passed.”

Alleria had nodded and shaken Katherine’s hand. “I guess I’ll see her later then. I’ll get the boys to sleep soon, it’s getting close to their bedtime.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll head home and check on the girls.” She had been about to step through the portal when she turned back, saying, “They... are quite fond of one another.”

A smile had turned up Alleria’s lips as she folded her arms over her chest. “I couldn’t have imagined seeing my Little Moon so utterly happy again after Rhonin, but... your daughter has had a very positive impact on her.”

Katherine had returned the smile. “Your sister has had the same effect.” She had quirked an eyebrow, nodding through the open front door towards the kitchen where the boys were still washing dishes. “Giramar and Galadin also seem to be quite taken with Jaina.”

They had exchanged looks that clearly said what they were both thinking, that the boys approved of Jaina, that they wanted her around more often, that they recognized how happy she made Vereesa.

Her voice soft, Alleria had agreed, “They really are.”

There had been a beat and a quiet moment of reflection, then both women had exchanged nods and kind looks and Katherine had departed through Jaina’s portal, landing back in her daughter’s room. She looked towards the bed, finding Jaina and Vereesa buried under the covers once more, sound asleep. She smiled, watching over them, thinking about what she had learned from Vereesa’s sons and her conversation with Alleria.

Assuming Jaina and Vereesa’s obvious fondness for one another continued to grow, it seemed it would be smooth sailing towards a long, committed, happy relationship, one that was already pre-approved by Vereesa’s children. She wondered if Jaina and Vereesa were aware of how the boys felt.

She smiled to herself. Once they awakened, she would casually drop it in. If they were still feeling sick, hearing about the time she had spent with the boys and the sweet things she had heard would surely make them feel better.

She picked up the tray with the empty soup bowls and mugs, glancing out the window at the setting sun. She gave a parting look to her daughter and Vereesa as she prepared to depart. Jaina stirred, murmuring something in her sleep, and nuzzled Vereesa’s shoulder. Vereesa murmured something back, sighing softly.

Katherine felt a slight warmth in her cheeks as she whispered, “Sleep well, girls,” and padded silently out of the room, gently pulling the door closed behind her.

***

Jaina awoke first, blinking in the relatively dark room, watching the moon rise and the stars twinkle brightly outside her window. Her throat no longer hurt, she did not feel congested, and she mercifully did not feel the urge to sneeze. Feeling a bit frisky, she kissed the back of Vereesa’s neck and tugged at her robe.

“Mmm...” Vereesa stirred, reaching back to stroke Jaina’s hair, a soft chuckle escaping her. “Someone’s feeling better...”

“Mhm,” Jaina whispered, kissing her neck again and boldly squeezing a breast through her robe.

Vereesa flipped over onto her back, pulling Jaina down into a kiss, moaning softly as an eager hand ran all over her body. She slipped one hand into Jaina’s hair, nibbling on a swollen lower lip. Jaina was spurred on when Vereesa pressed her free hand over hers, gently guiding her over soft curves. They kissed again, stopping and pulling away abruptly when they heard a knock at the door. They sat up quickly, discreetly adjusting their robes and flushing slightly, grateful for the darkness in the room.

Jaina waved a hand once they were decent, lighting a few candles on the walls for visibility as Katherine opened the door, bearing another tray of soup, tea, water, and medicine.

“You’re awake,” Katherine said kindly, setting the tray down on Jaina’s lap and taking a seat on the bed. “How are you both feeling?”

“Like new,” Vereesa said, as Jaina nodded her agreement. She picked up a dose of medicine and handed it to Jaina, then grabbed the second and gulped it down. “Just in case...”

Jaina drank hers as well and Katherine beamed at both of them. “Your boys are wonderful, Vereesa,” she blurted, smiling warmly. “Spending a few hours with them made me feel young again.”

“They weren’t too difficult?” Vereesa asked nervously, chewing her lip.

Katherine shook her head. “They were delightful, my dear. They finished their schoolwork and we rebuilt their train set and put together several puzzles, including a murloc one.” She gave her daughter a sweet look, taking in the lopsided smile on Jaina’s features and the way Vereesa grinned and rubbed her arm. “They...” she paused, considering how she wanted to word her sentence. Jaina and Vereesa looked up at her, curious and slightly nervous looks on their faces. “They can see a difference in their mother when their ‘aunt’ is around.”

Those words were all she needed to say, as Jaina and Vereesa turned to each other, excited looks on their faces, their hands twitching in their laps, clearly wanting to embrace. Katherine stood, more than happy to let them be alone.

“Good night, you two.”

“Good night,” they said in unison.

Once Katherine had left the room, Jaina cast a ward on the door to prevent unwanted entry. She set the tray on her bedside table and turned back to Vereesa with half-lidded eyes. “I have an idea,” she whispered, nuzzling Vereesa’s nose with hers.

“Yeah?”

“I think we should make use of my bathtub that’s big enough for two...”

“Oooh...”

“Get undressed...”

“Keep talking...”

“And get washed and clean and scrub off the last vestiges of this cold.”

“Mmm...” Vereesa hummed. “Sounds _sexy_.”

Jaina raised a mischievous eyebrow, agreeing, “Doesn’t it?”

Their eyes sparkled and they shared silly grins as they leaned in for a sweet kiss. They stood and made their way to the bathroom as Jaina waved a hand to start the water. Vereesa brought in the tray and they took a few bites of soup and a few sips of tea while they waited for the water to fill.

Jaina waved her hand again to shut off the tap and slipped off her robe as Vereesa slipped off hers. They were both still clad in their underwear from the previous night and it occurred to Jaina that they were about to see one another naked for the first time. She turned to see Vereesa removing her bra and panties without a second thought, and Jaina barely caught a glimpse of her breasts, but was treated to a lovely view of her ass.

Vereesa climbed into the tub, settling back and sinking down so that only her chin was above the water. She turned to Jaina, who had yet to undress. She took in bountiful curves, curves that she longed to caress, and she looked up into ocean eyes as Jaina slipped her hands behind her back, unhooking and removing her bra, setting it down on top of her robe. Vereesa let out the breath she only just realized she had been holding, her eyes drinking in Jaina’s breasts.

Jaina pulled down her panties, appreciating the way Vereesa’s eyes drifted rather hungrily over her body. A bit more slowly than was necessary, she stepped into the tub and sat down opposite Vereesa, their legs brushing. She handed Vereesa a fresh bar of soap as she picked up her own, and the pair washed and rinsed in a companionable silence.

Once they were finished, they set down their respective soaps and gazed at one another.

“Could I ask you something?” Jaina held up a bottle when Vereesa nodded in response. “Would you mind washing my hair?”

Vereesa smiled and patted her thighs under the water. Jaina handed her the bottle and carefully shifted and turned in the tub, settling between Vereesa’s legs, leaning back comfortably against her chest. Vereesa collected water in her hands and poured it on Jaina’s hair, then uncapped the bottle, pouring some shampoo onto her palm. She rubbed her hands together, then worked the substance into Jaina’s hair, massaging her scalp.

Jaina closed her eyes, settling back further against Vereesa’s chest. Vereesa lathered and lightly scrubbed her hair, then rinsed it, leaning forward to kiss the top of her head. She slipped her arms around Jaina, fingertips tracing circles over the flexing muscles of her stomach.

“I’m so comfortable,” Jaina shared a bit sleepily, running her fingers over Vereesa’s.

Chuckling, Vereesa kissed her ear and murmured, “I can tell.” She snuggled closer. “I can stay a little while longer, then I need to get home.”

“Stay with me,” Jaina pleaded softly. “It’s already evening, Alleria probably already put the boys to bed.”

Vereesa kissed her ear again and held her just a bit tighter. “I’ve been gone a full day,” she said reasonably, “I need to send Alleria home.”

Jaina deflated, but she understood. She caressed Vereesa’s hands and sighed, alternately content and disappointed. Her mood lightened when she remembered the likelihood of a sleepover for the boys the following night, where she and Vereesa would finally have time alone that was not marred by illness or exhaustion.

She savored the kisses along her shoulder, a soft moan escaping her. When Vereesa eventually whispered that she had to go, Jaina reluctantly stood and climbed out, reaching to help Vereesa to her feet. She let her gaze linger, noting little contours and imperfections and scars that caught her interest. She flushed when she noticed Vereesa doing the same.

She reached for a towel and wrapped Vereesa in it, letting her dry off. She grabbed one for herself, drying quickly, then handed Vereesa a fresh robe.

Vereesa smirked, a tall eyebrow raised in Jaina’s direction. “How many robes do you have?”

As Jaina slipped into one, she replied with a smirk of her own. “I keep extras for guests.”

“Oh?” Vereesa said teasingly, interested. “What sort of guests?”

Jaina tugged her robe closed, securely fastening the belt, and gave Vereesa a pointed look. “Special guests.”

“How often do you have these ‘special guests’?” Her tone was still teasing, though she wondered if she may be making Jaina uncomfortable.

“Not very,” Jaina whispered. “You’re my first in quite a while.”

There was something earnest and sweet and loving about the way Jaina spoke and Vereesa moved towards her, resting her hands on her friend’s shoulders and leaning in close. “I’m honored.”

Jaina wrapped Vereesa in her arms, snuggling against her in her plush robe. She kissed Vereesa deeply, happy to hold her for a few moments longer before casting a portal to Dalaran for her. When they separated, Vereesa gathered her underwear, then went back into the bedroom to pick up her dress. When Jaina had initially gone to make their tea, Vereesa had picked up their dresses and shoes, laying the clothes over the couch and setting the shoes nearby on the floor.

She slipped on her shoes and bundled her dress and underwear in her arms, not wanting to change back. She hoped she could avoid the boys until the following morning and simply head to bed. She turned around, finding Jaina behind her, and leaned in for a quick kiss.

“I’ll get all the details sorted for the boys to have their sleepover tomorrow night. I’ll let you know early if it doesn’t work out, but it should be fine. Come over in the evening, I’ll cook us up something delicious.”

Jaina just nodded and pulled Vereesa close, kissing her deeply, hands sliding down her body. They separated after several long moments, both breathless, Jaina dizzy with want.

“Tomorrow,” Vereesa whispered, taking Jaina’s face in her hands, kissing her forehead.

“Tomorrow.” Jaina slowly cast a portal, stealing one last kiss as Vereesa smiled and went through.

Vereesa emerged by her front door, her face flushed, her mind racing. She opened the door, finding Alleria curled up on the couch with a book. She closed the door quietly as Alleria stood.

“They’re asleep and good as new,” Alleria said, setting her book down on the coffee table. She raised a tall eyebrow, a smirk on her lips. “Nice robe.”

Vereesa flushed further, ducking her head and avoiding a response. “Thank you for taking care of them today. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.”

Alleria shrugged. “I’m still trying to make up for lost time.”

“I mean it,” Vereesa said, her voice wavering.

Alleria softened and smiled, gathering Vereesa in a hug. “I know you do,” she whispered. “I’d do anything for you, Little Moon.”

Vereesa closed her eyes, burying her face in Alleria’s neck, holding her tight. Alleria pulled back, still smiling, and cast a void portal for herself. She gave her little sister a wink and stepped through as Vereesa waved farewell. Vereesa pulled off her heels and padded silently to her room, opening and shutting the door behind her.

She threw her clothes into a hamper and dropped her heels on the ground. She dug through drawers to find a comfortable pair of pajamas and underwear, then slipped off her robe to dress. She climbed into bed, pulling the covers over her.

She thought about the boys, grateful they were no longer sick, and eager to spend some time with them in the morning before school and before she headed to work. She was grateful, too, that her work, like Jaina’s, had been far easier since the tentative peace between the Alliance and Horde had been forged. She did not need to work as much and she could generally take time off at will, for which she was appreciative. It allowed her to spend more time with her sons... as well as friends.

As she curled up under her blankets, getting comfortable and beginning to drift off, she had one thought on her mind...

Jaina.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *It means what you want (what you really, really want), will be in the next chapter.
> 
> I’M SORRY.
> 
> But! It will be posted very soon because I’ve spent the last few weeks writing and editing both chapters and I think the overall story is where I want it.
> 
> So yes, soon! And not Blizzard soon, I promise.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Hopefully, this is continuing to be a relatively light and entertaining read (with a nice dose of fluffy cheesiness) that maybe, sometimes, tugs at those heartstrings juuuust a little bit. <333


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this one!

Vereesa awoke the next morning to find Galadin and Giramar next to her bed, looking incredibly excited. She knew they were looking forward to the sleepover, as she and the parents of their friend had been trying to coordinate it for a while. They had tentatively settled on tonight, but Vereesa needed to make sure all was well.

“Morning,” she said as she sat up. She was almost immediately pounced upon and she giggled and wrapped her sons in a hug. “I take it you two are all better.” She grinned when they nodded vigorously.

“Sleepover tonight!” they squealed in unison.

“ _Hopefully_ ,” Vereesa reminded them. “When we get to school, we’ll make sure. Pack this morning, though, so you can be ready when you come home from school to grab your things and head over.”

“We already did!” Galadin exclaimed, as Giramar nodded beside him.

Vereesa was smiling again. “Of course you did.” She looked them over, finding them already dressed for school as well, appreciating their preparedness, even if they had ulterior motives. “Did you eat breakfast?”

“Cereal and juice,” Giramar said brightly, flashing a grin. “We brushed our teeth, too!”

“You boys are perfect,” she whispered, hugging them again and kissing their cheeks. “How was yesterday? I heard you spent time with Jaina’s mother.”

“She’s great,” Galadin said with a smile. “She’s just like Aunt Jaina.” He paused, considering. “Or... Aunt Jaina’s just like her...” Giramar tugged at his sleeve, nodding at the assessment, and Vereesa smiled. “She helped us with our homework and then played with us.”

Vereesa looked between her sons’ smiling faces, feeling just a bit emotional at how earnest they were. Taking a deep breath, she began, “I... need to talk with you about something important, and I need you both to be honest with me and not hold back.”

Their faces fell and they exchanged worried looks. “What’s wrong, Minn’da?” Giramar asked.

Vereesa ruffled their hair and pulled them close. “Nothing’s wrong, loves,” she assured them, “quite the opposite in fact.”

The boys exchanged looks again, then peered curiously at their minn’da.

“I know you’ve noticed that I’ve been spending more time lately with your Aunt Jaina.” They nodded and Vereesa noticed a slight flush in their cheeks. “What I need to ask you both, is if you would be all right with her being around more often. Perhaps, someday, in a more permanent capacity.” Her voice began to break as she continued, “I... truly like her and I enjoy spending time with her. No one can ever replace your Ann’da, I want you to know that. But I also want you to know that Jaina...” She sniffled and took a steadying breath as she anxiously studied her sons’ faces. “I want you to know that Jaina makes me happy.”

For the third time, Giramar and Galadin exchanged looks, but they were grinning widely. “We know, Minn’da,” Giramar said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Galadin added animatedly, “We can see it. You’re always smiling when she’s around or when you come home after seeing her.”

Vereesa felt tears in her eyes and she let them fall as her sons embraced her and soothed her, telling her everything was all right, telling her how thrilled they were to see more of Jaina. As she held them, her only thought was that she had the best children in the world.

***

Jaina busied herself with work and an additional trade agreement meeting, having missed the one the previous day. Her mother and Tandred had handled that one, and her suggestion of adding a second one, to at least put in an appearance, had been granted.

During the meeting, she found herself wishing and hoping that she would not receive word that the sleepover plans for the boys had fallen through. She also realized she wanted to see the boys again soon, perhaps bring them another puzzle or some new books. She missed them and she enjoyed spending time with and getting to know them.

There would be plenty of time for that, she knew. Tonight was about her and Vereesa finally being with each other after weeks of dates and kissing and touching and thoroughly wanting each other.

She leaned back in her chair, listening to various people talk about trade deals. The meeting itself was essentially a formality, as they always tended to be. They happened multiple times a year and roughly the same deals were always renewed. She looked out a nearby window, seeing the sun disappearing behind the hills, the sky a lovely burnt orange with streaks of blue and purple.

She had yet to hear from Vereesa and she took that to assume that the old adage of no news being good news meant that this was very good news indeed.

Prior to the meeting, she had changed into a blue blouse that was just a shade lighter than her eyes, and charcoal trousers, her feet sporting similarly colored sandals. She was dressed casually and comfortably, but she thought that it barely mattered, as she imagined she would not be dressed for too long anyway...

She brought a hand to her mouth to hide her smirk, her cheeks warming.

“What dae ye think, Lord Admiral?”

The voice of a dwarven trader broke her out of her thoughts and she blushed further, turning to the man and asking, “I beg your pardon, could you repeat that last bit?”

Katherine and Tandred exchanged looks, clearing their throats as Jaina looked innocently in their direction, then focused back on the dwarf as he repeated what he had said.

“That sounds like a plan,” Jaina said as she stood. “We all know this is a formality, we always accept these deals.” An idea suddenly occurred to her and she smiled as she added, “Tell you what, we’ll slash the costs of renewal by twenty percent to encourage more profits for all of you.”

Katherine gasped, but she held her tongue. Her daughter was not only Lord Admiral and thus, in charge, she was also in a good mood and they certainly did not need the money. Lower costs may even convince other traders to make agreements with them, once the news of lower prices traveled by word of mouth. She smiled at her daughter’s cleverness.

Cheers erupted and Jaina grinned at everyone, then turned to her mother and brother. “Mother, Tandred, if you could make sure all the paperwork is taken care of, I... need to depart.”

Tandred stood and Katherine followed suit. “Of course, Lord Admiral,” Tandred said with a smirk, his tone teasing.

Jaina beamed at them both, then bid everyone farewell and teleported away. She landed in front of Vereesa’s front door and tentatively brought her hand up to knock. Her stomach was filled with fluttering excitement, as she was thoroughly looking forward to spending time with Vereesa, but she was still just a bit nervous at how important this night was.

The door opened almost immediately, revealing Vereesa in a red sweater and cream trousers, her silver hair flowing about her shoulders. Jaina’s breath caught and she reached up a hand to fiddle with her braid.

“Hi,” she breathed.

“Hi,” Vereesa murmured, her ears swiveling forward and going red.

“I... take it everything went as planned?” Jaina smiled when Vereesa nodded and she shifted from foot to foot, realizing just how wonderful Vereesa smelled. It was as if she had just come out of a garden of roses and Jaina felt pleasantly lightheaded.

Vereesa returned the smile, stepping back and letting Jaina walk in, closing the door behind her. She thought Jaina looked lovely and she breathed in, noting that Jaina smelled like an ocean breeze with the slightest touch of fresh flowers, just as she had before. Vereesa was almost certain that was the perfect scent.

“I made dinner,” she began, “it’s keeping warm on the stove.”

Jaina did not speak, and instead let Vereesa talk about the meal she had prepared. Almost immediately, Jaina found herself not listening. She felt guilty, just a bit, but dinner could wait. She smiled tightly and nodded, stepping forward and running her fingers through Vereesa’s hair. The look on Vereesa’s face told her that she had been found out, that Vereesa could tell she had not actually been listening.

Before Vereesa could say anything, Jaina advanced on her, wrapping her arms around her, holding her close as she pressed a long, lingering kiss to her lips. When they pulled back, they were both panting softly, their eyes half-lidded.

“Ah, so I also made...“ Vereesa was trying her best to stay focused on describing the meal, but she trailed off, Jaina making it exceedingly difficult to concentrate.

“We can reheat,” Jaina whispered, her lips hovering over Vereesa’s, a soft smile spreading across her face.

Vereesa sighed heavily, accepting defeat, smiling as she teasingly pinched Jaina’s cheek. “It’s a good thing I love you.”

Vereesa froze and so did Jaina, the latter’s lips slightly parted, wondering how to respond. They had said those words to each other often over the years, but this... this was different.

Vereesa laughed suddenly. “No. Why am I nervous? This is silly.” Taking Jaina’s hands in hers, she reiterated, “I love you.”

Jaina felt tears prick her eyes. This was not the friendly declaration of love that they were so used to exchanging. This was a real, mountain-moving declaration of love. She tried to find her voice. “Yeah?”

Vereesa grinned. “Yeah.” She squeezed Jaina’s hands and said, for a third time, “I love you.” Huffing a laugh, she added, “It feels so good to say.”

Jaina smiled back and looked down at their hands, swallowing and blinking back tears. When she looked back up, her eyes were shining. “I love you, too.”

Vereesa extracted her hands to bring them to Jaina’s face, cupping her cheeks. They leaned in, their lips meeting in a tender kiss. Jaina pulled back first, covering Vereesa’s hands with her own, smiling softly.

“I love you,” Jaina said once more and broke into a grin. “It really does feel good to say.” Vereesa nodded, still smiling. “It’s a good thing we already have the boys’ approval, huh?”

Vereesa kissed her again. “It is. Your mother just confirmed what I’ve seen, and I talked to them this morning to make it official. They really like you, Jaina. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them react so positively to any other adults they know. To them, you’ve always been family.”

Jaina’s breath caught in her throat and a few tears spilled down her cheeks. She had always wanted to be a mother, ever since she was young. So far, she had been an aunt figure to Anduin, Giramar, and Galadin. It had been a relatively simple job, offering unconditional love, support, and occasional advice, but it was not the same as being a mother and having to do that and more, plus needing to be around all the time.

It sounded like a daunting task, one that Jaina was up for, but thoroughly afraid of botching. “I...” she began, uncertain how to put her worries into words without sounding like a jerk. Vereesa gently stroked her cheek, soothing her. “I... would never presume to take Rhonin’s place—or yours, for that matter—but I... I don’t have experience with this...”

“Of course you do.” Vereesa kissed her forehead. “You’ve been a positive figure in their lives for years. Now, it’s just... more of that, and being around more often.”

Jaina nodded slowly, letting the words sink in. “I can do that,” she whispered, feeling a slight surge of confidence. She faltered after a moment, saying, “You’ll let me know if I overstep... right?”

Vereesa caressed her face, a soft smile on her lips as she nodded. Jaina was being so incredibly endearing that she could barely stand it. Jaina was worried that she would not be able to be a good parent, or that she may tread into Vereesa’s territory, and she did not need to be concerned with any of it.

Jaina’s entire face was red and she looked a bit sheepish as she bit her lip. Vereesa felt warm looking at her. She pulled Jaina into a hungry kiss, hands grasping at her blouse, opening several buttons, the dinner she had prepared entirely forgotten. She drew back, eyes half-lidded, as Jaina regarded her anxiously, chest heaving as she drew in several deep breaths.

Vereesa just smiled reassuringly and took Jaina by the hand, leading her to the master bedroom. Once inside, Vereesa shut the door and pressed Jaina against it, the wood creaking. She peppered Jaina’s neck with kisses, growing warmer with each carefully measured moan she drew from Jaina.

Vereesa pulled back to look up into Jaina’s sparkling eyes, then down to the sinful smile on plush lips. She kissed Jaina hard, swallowing the moan that left Jaina’s throat. Her fingers fumbled with the remaining buttons on Jaina’s blouse and she tugged it off, flinging it to a nearby chair. She reached behind Jaina’s back, unhooking and pulling away a lovely bra. She could not suppress her moan as she leaned forward, kissing a line from Jaina’s neck down to a breast, sucking a taut nipple into her mouth.

One hand brushed the gently defined muscles of Jaina’s stomach, her own stomach fluttering as Jaina gasped her pleasure. As she cupped the breast her mouth was not lavishing, Vereesa thought about the fact that she had not only not been intimate with anyone since Rhonin’s death, but that she had no experience with women. It was something that had not concerned her before, but now she was wondering if what she was doing and what she wanted to do would work for Jaina, if her actions would satisfy.

Jaina looked down at Vereesa’s hand cupping one breast and her mouth licking and sucking the other. She bit her lip, heat coiling in her belly, spreading throughout her body. She let her fingers sift through beautifully soft silver hair, leaning her head back as Vereesa kept touching her.

She had never been with a woman previously, and she wondered if Vereesa, in her many, many years, had ever been. The way Vereesa was making her feel, the way she thought she might unravel under deft fingers and a warm mouth made her think Vereesa must have had some experience with women in the past.

That, or she was just incredibly good at this...

Jaina flushed at the thought, her fingers shaking as she brought her hands down, bringing them to the hem of Vereesa’s sweater and lifting it above her head, letting it fall to the floor. A soft camisole remained and Jaina bit her lip again at the sight of Vereesa’s stiff nipples poking against the soft fabric.

Vereesa whined quietly at being pulled away from Jaina’s breasts and she whipped off her camisole and resumed her exploration, her face warming at Jaina’s chuckle.

“And here I thought _I_ was eager...”

Vereesa looked up, reluctantly letting a swollen, puckered nipple drop from her lips. She raised a long eyebrow, a smirk twisting her mouth as she teased, “Problem?”

Jaina caressed Vereesa’s face, an impossibly soft expression on her own as she shook her head. “Quite the opposite, I just...” she trailed off, nerves getting the better of her, goosebumps rising all over her exposed skin. “I’ve never...”

“I haven’t, either,” Vereesa shared, and she smiled at Jaina’s surprised look, leaning close and kissing her deeply.

Vereesa unzipped Jaina’s trousers, letting them drop, revealing soft panties that she pulled down without a second thought. She made no attempt to hide her roaming gaze, licking her lips as she took in Jaina’s beautiful naked body.

They had not had too much time before their bath the previous night to truly look at one another, but now, they had all the time in the world.

She pressed a hand against nervously flexing stomach muscles, reaching up with her other hand to stroke the smooth skin over Jaina’s collarbone, dropping down to full breasts, rising and falling with each careful breath Jaina took.

Her skin was almost perfect, Vereesa thought, only the slightest of blemishes and a few scars, scars that Vereesa gently traced with her fingers, wondering about the stories behind each one. Tales for another time, but tales she wanted to hear eventually.

Jaina watched with wonder as Vereesa further explored her body, breath catching in her throat when careful fingers ran across her scars. She noted the way Vereesa’s expression changed as she touched them and Jaina made a mental note to share how she had obtained each one.

She let her eyes fall upon similar scars on Vereesa, small ones primarily across her shoulders, chest, and stomach. She wanted to know the stories for all of them, wanted to further know Vereesa. Struck by a sense of kinship, Jaina leaned forward to kiss her, resting her hands on full hips. She pulled Vereesa close, fingers sliding to her front, unbuttoning the trousers she wore, pulling them down along with silk panties that whispered against pale skin.

Jaina let her gaze drift over Vereesa’s body the way Vereesa’s gaze had drifted over hers, memorizing the way she looked, the way she smiled softly at the attention, the way her body flowed like a river.

 _Tides_ , Vereesa’s beauty was almost too much. Just looking at her was making Jaina want her even more than she had wanted anyone. Overcome by desire, Jaina took one of Vereesa’s hands in hers and led her to the bed Vereesa had once shared with her husband, the man who had saved Jaina’s life, the man whose death was the reason Jaina was allowed to be here at all.

Guilt that she had not felt in a while swept over her as she sat down. She tried to force it away, but it lingered, made tears spring to her eyes as Vereesa sat down with her, caressing her cheek.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Vereesa whispered, catching her gaze, “and you have nothing to worry about.”

Jaina felt a chill run through her and she shook her head, apologies pouring out of her, tears dropping onto her cheeks. Vereesa held her close, rubbing her back and kissing anywhere she could reach. Jaina felt herself begin to calm and she grasped Vereesa’s face in trembling hands, kissing her fiercely, the woman holding her suddenly her only concern.

Vereesa returned the kiss with equal fervor, pressing Jaina back and moving on top of her, appreciating the warmth of her body and the way her arms went around her neck. Vereesa let her lips trail down Jaina’s jaw, her knee sliding between Jaina’s legs, parting them as Jaina bit back a moan.

As she began to kiss her way down Jaina’s neck, Vereesa husked, “Tell me what you like.”

Jaina froze and she felt Vereesa freeze too, then carefully resume soft, sweet kisses against her neck, moving to her shoulder. Finding her voice, Jaina stammered, “‘W-what I like’?”

“Mhm,” Vereesa encouraged, fangs gently nipping at her shoulder. She paused to look up at Jaina’s startled face. “You don’t have to, if you don’t want. I can just explore, maybe discover something about you that you’ve never realized.”

Jaina sucked in a breath, her entire body hot and full of desire. Vereesa looked so eager to please her, to find out exactly what she enjoyed in bed, and it shook her deeply. Truthfully, she had not thought about it much before. She had only ever been intimate with two people, both of whom had also been more than happy to make sure she was taken care of—and she, them—but there had not been much discussion.

She was always satisfied, but she rarely spoke up, apart from offering or seeking assurance or encouragement. The thought of telling Vereesa specifically what she wanted, or perhaps guiding Vereesa along, was alternately exciting and terrifying.

Vereesa had moved down, once again sucking on a nipple, while she twisted and tugged the other with her fingertips. It felt amazing, sending pulsing shockwaves between her legs, and Jaina found her voice, moaning and blurting out, “That... I-I like that...”

Vereesa stopped and looked up, sporting a grin. “I’m off to a good start.”

Jaina covered her face with her hands, stifling embarrassed laughter as Vereesa chuckled. She gasped when Vereesa moved back down, sucking the opposite nipple into her mouth while teasing the first with her fingers. She moved down again, lips pressed to her ribs, and Jaina let slip soft sounds of want, soft whimpers of pleasure, as her body trembled at the attention.

Vereesa looked up briefly, finding Jaina with her eyes closed, breathing unevenly. She kept watching Jaina’s reactions as she pressed her lips to quivering stomach muscles, and Jaina clenched and flexed her fist on her pillow.

 _Belore_ , Jaina was beautiful. 

Vereesa caressed a warm, milky thigh, and she felt Jaina’s entire body tense in anticipation. She felt her own body tense as well. She had been interrupted the last time she had been between Jaina’s legs, only getting to lightly touch her before they had been forced to separate.

She wondered if she should continue to explore, continue to find what else Jaina liked. She looked up again and the way Jaina trembled and moaned told her that more exploration could wait. She slid a finger between velvety lower lips, her fingertip just brushing Jaina’s clit. She watched as Jaina grabbed the headboard with one hand, the other reaching down to stroke her hair.

“Please...”

The whimpered word was all the encouragement Vereesa needed to add another finger, rubbing down by Jaina’s entrance and then back up over her clit, fingertips beginning to glisten. She worked her fingers slowly, intent on making certain Jaina was truly ready.

Jaina shivered, her hips involuntarily jerking forward every time Vereesa touched her clit. Her body was positively buzzing with energy and she felt herself growing more aroused by the second. She let out a soft cry, one hand gripping the headboard harder, the other tightening in Vereesa’s hair.

She nearly came undone when Vereesa slipped a finger inside, curling against her front wall. A warm and wet tongue began to caress her clit and she whispered Vereesa’s name, her hips jerking forward again.

Jaina realized that Vereesa was being cautious, perhaps worried about going too hard, too fast, or just overstimulating her before she even came. Jaina wanted more, _needed_ more, and in the spirit of telling Vereesa what she liked, she whispered, “You can go faster.” She licked her lips, considering for a moment as Vereesa sped up the motions of her finger and tongue. Her face warmed as she murmured, “A little harder, too, and... more fingers...”

Vereesa smiled at Jaina’s requests, more than willing to oblige her. She added a second finger inside, savoring the deep moan that rumbled in Jaina’s throat. She rapidly flicked her tongue at Jaina’s clit before taking the swollen bud in her mouth, sucking hard as Jaina thrust against her lips. She added a third finger within and Jaina was positively singing her name.

Jaina’s muscles clenched around rhythmically thrusting fingers and the air was filled with her soft, shallow breaths. Vereesa realized that being deep inside Jaina’s wet heat while Jaina sung her praises and gripped her hair was amongst the best feelings she had ever experienced.

Jaina was shaking, her hips lifting off the bed, Vereesa’s name along with some choice curses and whimpers of reverence falling from her lips. She was incredibly close and she found herself realizing that she had never quite experienced such a strong connection with her past lovers. She had never been left wanting, but there was something about being with Vereesa that was far more intense than anything else she had experienced.

She cried out, increasingly desperate pleas tumbling from her. Her muscles tightened so much she felt as though her entire body may snap. She trembled and shook, holding the headboard in a white-knuckled grasp as her other hand tugged at Vereesa’s hair as gently as she could manage.

Vereesa’s name was again pulled from her lips as she came, feeling like she was caught in a tsunami of pleasure, pounding waves crashing at her shore, then slowly calming and lapping against her, leaving her a beautiful mess as Vereesa carefully pulled away.

Jaina released her hold on the headboard and Vereesa’s hair, dropping her hands. She opened her eyes and lifted herself up slightly on her elbows, regarding Vereesa’s lovely face as she panted softly and licked her fingers and her shining lips. Jaina breathed shakily at the sight, suddenly filled with energy, wanting to make Vereesa feel the way she currently felt.

She sat up fully, leaning back against the headboard as Vereesa sat up next to her, kissing her jaw. She took a few deep, calming breaths as she recovered, slipping an arm around Vereesa’s shoulders and pulling her close.

“That was...”

“Yes...?”

Jaina flushed as she averted her gaze and Vereesa gently turned her face back.

“Amazing. Incredible. Mind-blowing—“

Vereesa pressed a kiss to Jaina’s lips, chuckling as she pulled back. “Loving the adjectives.”

“Marvelous.”

Vereesa kissed her again.

“Stupendous.”

And again...

“Utterly... _wonderful_.”

Vereesa kissed her once more, shaking her head as Jaina smirked at her. “All the adjectives,” she murmured, chuckling still.

“I _am_ a bookworm, remember?” Jaina teased.

“Mm, yes you are,” Vereesa agreed, “and quite the linguist...” As she leaned close, raising a wicked eyebrow, she brushed her lips against Jaina’s and husked, “I’m... a bit curious to see just how... _cunning_... you can be...”

Jaina could not hide the smirk that pulled at her mouth at Vereesa’s turn of phrase. “Me too...”

Vereesa grinned and kissed her again, squealing when Jaina laid her down, pinning her to the mattress. Jaina felt nervous butterflies in her stomach, wondering if she could elicit the same response from Vereesa that Vereesa had elicited from her.

Vereesa had been so bold, her mouth and fingers drawing out such a powerful response that Jaina had felt even more connected to Vereesa than she already was. She decided that if she could bring out even half of that feeling, she would consider it a success.

Even so, she wanted to give Vereesa the same or better experience. She roamed Vereesa’s curves, her hands cupping soft breasts, her lips trailing down a pale neck. Vereesa whispered her name and she was spurred on, her hands moving down to full hips, nails digging in just the slightest bit. The action brought out a soft purr and Jaina looked up in surprise, finding Vereesa with her eyes closed, chewing on her lip.

She dipped down, swirling her tongue around each nipple in turn, then kissing a pattern down a toned stomach, sighing as the muscles flexed under her lips. She settled in between Vereesa’s thighs, hands holding her legs in place. She pressed soft kisses to each thigh, feeling Vereesa quiver, hearing quiet moans that steadily became louder. She focused on those thighs for a short while, appreciating the way they trembled and parted further, giving Jaina a beautiful view of the bounty that lay between them.

Tentatively, she ran her tongue along soft lips, tasting her. She heard Vereesa whisper her name once more and she shivered, the tip of her tongue opening Vereesa up and licking her clit.

“Jaina...” Vereesa breathed, stroking her hair.

 _Belore_ , Jaina was good with her mouth. Vereesa should have hardly been surprised, their kisses alone had been incredible, with warm, eager lips and equally eager tongues. She had even managed to turn Jaina into a human thesaurus with all the praise for her own mouth Jaina had heaped upon her just minutes before. Vereesa hummed as Jaina worked, settling in to enjoy what she had to offer.

She raised an eyebrow when Jaina stopped briefly to look up at her with eyes that sparkled.

“Tell me what you want.”

It was a powerful question in general, one that sent serious answers flying about in Vereesa’s head, along with intimate ones. She supported herself on one elbow, flashing Jaina a smirk with a little fang, involuntarily shivering when Jaina flushed and bit her lip. She rubbed silky white hair as she murmured, “Put your tongue inside me.”

Jaina obliged and Vereesa’s thighs shook enough that Jaina had to squeeze them to keep her in place. Her tongue was impossibly soft and gentle, all the while feeling wondrously rough and harsh as Jaina swirled it within. She laid back down, considering what to say next, what to request. The prospect of taking control of her pleasure and leading Jaina to give her exactly what she desired was one that sent shivers of excitement throughout her body.

After a few more breathless moments, Vereesa continued, “Touch my clit.”

Jaina gasped softly. There was something incredibly sexy about how direct Vereesa’s words were, and Jaina bit back a moan. She did as she was told, rubbing the swollen bud in careful circles with her thumb, while continuing to work her tongue within. She felt Vereesa’s fingers tighten—not unpleasantly—in her hair, and she found herself awaiting instruction, eagerly anticipating Vereesa guiding her, telling her what to do. She imagined it would not always be necessary, once she learned for herself, became more familiar with Vereesa’s body, but right now, she was getting a deep amount of gratification from being told what to do.

With a shiver of delight, Jaina realized that even if Vereesa always wanted to tell her what to do in bed, she would be more than okay with that, too...

“Bit faster,” Vereesa husked, rolling her hips forward as Jaina quickened her pace. “Now...” she began, making Jaina tense with excitement, “I want your mouth on me and your fingers inside.”

Breathlessly, Jaina asked, “How many?”

“However many you like.”

Jaina felt herself grow hotter at Vereesa’s words, felt that she was ready to be touched again. She let her tongue slip out of Vereesa, licking her from entrance to clit, trembling at the full-body moan she drew from her. She closed her mouth around Vereesa’s clit, lavishing it with her tongue as she first settled into a steady rhythm with her lips, then sucked a little harder, a little faster, thoroughly enjoying the delightful sounds of want that she was causing Vereesa to make.

She tested Vereesa by cautiously sliding one finger inside, then a second, then a third, Vereesa’s intense arousal ensuring she met very little resistance. Vereesa began to tense around her and she kept her pace, listening to moans that kept growing in their intensity, becoming lost in the sounds.

“Keep doing that...” Vereesa gasped out, her voice weak. She was nearly there, her muscles tensing further, loving everything Jaina was doing, loving how Jaina listened to and obliged each request. She felt powerful and in control, despite being entirely at Jaina’s mercy.

She whispered a few curses in Thalassian, gripping Jaina’s hair just a bit harder, her hips rising off the bed as her back arched. Jaina held her in place by tightening her free hand’s hold on one thigh and Vereesa sucked in a breath and held it. Moments later, she was flying over the edge of her cliff and Jaina’s name was a whisper on her lips as she exhaled. She splashed into the ocean, rocky waves moving her in every direction, her entire body pushed to the limit. Her muscles tensed and squeezed and released, over and over again, until she was about to tap Jaina’s shoulder. Jaina understood the sensitivity was too much and pulled away before she could react. She stroked silky white hair, smiling softly at how well Jaina already knew her body.

Jaina gave Vereesa’s clit a final lick, watching the intense shiver that ran through the woman as she crawled up and rested her head on pillowy breasts, the two of them shimmering in sweat. She could hear Vereesa still trying to recover, could hear bits of praise in Thalassian that she was mostly able to translate as being the same words she had rattled off earlier in Common. Her cheeks warmed and she ran lazy fingers along Vereesa’s hip.

Once they had both caught their breath, Jaina let a wicked smirk cross her lips as she murmured, “Now that we’ve had dessert, I think I’m ready for dinner...”

Vereesa covered her mouth with her hands, shaking with laughter. Jaina blushed fiercely, beginning to chuckle at her own joke.

As Vereesa sat up and drew Jaina close for a kiss, she teased, “It’s a good thing I love you...”

***

Later, after Jaina and Vereesa had wolfed down a first serving, most of a second, and then shared a warm bath, they laid in bed, gentle fingers roaming tired bodies. They were swapping stories about their scars, content to listen to sometimes sad and scary tales, as well as more lighthearted and humorous ones.

“How about this one?” Vereesa asked, tracing a short line on Jaina’s stomach.

“The Battle of Dazar’alor.” Jaina stroked Vereesa’s finger as she kept tracing the mark. “A rogue caught me looking elsewhere and took advantage of my guard being down, slicing me with a poisoned dagger.” She shook her head at the memory. “Some of the worst pain I’ve felt.”

Vereesa nodded and replaced her finger with her mouth, planting several long kisses over the scar as Jaina sighed softly, a slow smile on her lips.

A few quiet moments passed, then Jaina ran her fingers over a small scar along the inside of Vereesa’s left wrist. “Hm... what’s this one from?” Vereesa blushed and Jaina teased and tickled her belly, eliciting a giggle. “Come on, tell me.”

Vereesa pouted and admitted sheepishly, “Cooking. I was pan frying some salmon and the oil popped and hit me.” Quirking an eyebrow at Jaina, she added, “The pain was almost worse than _childbirth_...”

Jaina grinned and scoffed and Vereesa smirked. “Somehow, I don’t believe you...”

“All right, all right, I _may_ be exaggerating just a tiny bit...”

Jaina kissed Vereesa’s lips and then her wrist, linking their fingers together as she closed her eyes, feeling tired and ready for sleep. She scooted closer to snuggle against Vereesa, and she used her free hand to bring the blankets over them.

“Speaking of childbirth...” Vereesa began, then chuckled. “Well, speaking of the _results_ of said childbirth, I’ll have to wake up a bit early tomorrow morning to pick up the boys from their friend’s house. It isn’t far, so it shouldn’t take me very long.”

Jaina nodded her understanding, but she could not suppress the quiet whine of disappointment in her throat. “Should I leave before you get back, or...?”

“No,” Vereesa said, “I’m going to tell them we had a sleepover too, and that you’re still here. We’ll make breakfast once they’ve unpacked and gotten settled back in.”

“You’re sure?” Jaina felt apprehensive and she chewed on her lip.

“I’m sure. They’ve seen you around plenty in the days and evenings, they’ll get used to seeing you in the mornings as well.”

Jaina nodded again and moved even closer, tucking into the crook of Vereesa’s neck. She went red when a sudden worry came to her. “Do you have a gown I could borrow? Just in case they decide to burst into the room when the three of you get home...”

Vereesa chuckled and stood. “You asked before I could mention that bit...” She pulled two fresh gowns out of a bureau drawer and tossed one to Jaina. She slipped into hers as Jaina tugged hers on and settled back down. “Being prepared for the unexpected where children are concerned is something that you’ll learn pretty quickly.”

Jaina’s thoughts raced as she pulled Vereesa back into bed, wrapping her arms around her. “I need more pearls of wisdom...” she mumbled.

Vereesa chuckled. “This could take a while...” Jaina pouted as Vereesa pressed a kiss to her cheek. “All right, I’ll let you in on a few for now, but then we should sleep.”

“Fine by me.”

“So for one...”

***

Jaina awoke the next morning to find herself alone in bed. She burrowed deeper under the covers, feeling bereft. She wondered how long Vereesa would be gone when she suddenly heard the front door open, the sound accompanied by Vereesa trying to calm the boys, who sounded rather hyper. Vereesa was telling them to unpack and do some light chores and that she and Jaina would prepare breakfast for them in a little while.

Jaina gulped when she heard the twins gasp rather loudly, then broke into a smile when she heard them cheer about seeing her again. Tears crept into the corners of her eyes and she wiped them away when she heard footsteps coming towards the bedroom door.

Vereesa slipped in, closing the door behind her. She started when she realized Jaina was awake, then relaxed into a smile. “Morning.”

“Morning.”

“How’d you sleep?”

“It was the best sleep I’ve ever had.”

Vereesa regarded her with a teasing twinkle in her eye. “I’d like to think I had something to do with that...”

Earnestly, Jaina whispered, “You had _everything_ to do with that...”

Vereesa blinked back sudden tears, giving Jaina a warm smile. “Take all the time you need to get ready, I’m just going to make sure the boys get their chores done before breakfast.” She was about to open the door when Jaina’s pleading voice filled the air.

“Stay with me?”

She turned back, finding Jaina with the purest look of love and longing she had ever seen. Jaina’s blue eyes glowed and her lower lip gave the slightest quiver. Vereesa’s breath caught in her throat and she found herself walking over to the bed. When she climbed in, Jaina immediately draped the blankets over them and wrapped warm arms around her. She closed her eyes when she felt Jaina nuzzle the back of her neck.

“Just... for a little while...” she murmured, already feeling like she could drift off.

“Mhm,” purred Jaina, “and then I can make the boys some chocolate chip pancakes.” Jaina winced when Vereesa pinched her arm. “Did I say something wrong?”

Vereesa soothed the spot she had pinched, chuckling lightly. “No, but just... remember that you can’t spoil the boys as much as you have in the past. They’ll take advantage, even if they don’t mean to and even if you mean well.”

Jaina swallowed and nodded against Vereesa’s shoulder, scooting a little closer, holding her a little tighter. She was nervous and suddenly terrified that she was not actually prepared to be a mother figure. “I...” she trailed off, chewing her lip worriedly.

Vereesa flipped onto her back and Jaina propped herself up on her elbow, absently running shaking fingers over Vereesa’s stomach, deep in thought.

Caressing her face, Vereesa asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jaina met her gaze, finding kind reassurance in her eyes. “I don’t know if I can do this...”

Vereesa pulled her down for a kiss, hands in her hair. Nuzzling her nose, she said, “No one immediately knows how to be a parent. I gave you some basics last night and I know you’ve learned quite a bit from interacting with the boys over the years, but there’s so much more. You just... have to find your own way.”

“How?”

Vereesa chuckled again, still stroking her hair. “Jaina, you worry too much...”

The well-intentioned attempt at humor fell flat and Jaina sat up, leaning back against the headboard, briefly looking upwards, as if for guidance.

“What if it all falls apart?” she asked quietly. She almost regretted the words as soon as she had said them, but her mind was racing with terrible possibilities, all of them resulting in the end of her relationship with Vereesa. She told herself she was being realistic to prepare for the worst, but she knew there was truth to Vereesa’s words, knew that most of how she felt was simply worry and fear of the unknown.

“Do you think it will?” Vereesa fixed her with a surprisingly sharp glare, her tone hard as she sat up. “I’m not going to give up on this, Jaina. It took me _years_ to accept anyone new in my romantic life, to accept that anyone could even attempt to make me _feel_ again.”

Jaina felt a rush of warmth in her cheeks and she slipped an arm around Vereesa’s shoulders. Her fears began to melt away, the sincerity in Vereesa’s voice reassuring her greatly. In Vereesa’s ear, she whispered, “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You better not,” Vereesa said as she softened, a smile forming on her lips. “I’m awfully attached to you.”

Jaina returned the smile, her lips hovering near Vereesa’s. “Back at you.”

As their lips met and Vereesa’s arms went around her, Jaina felt her worries further dissipate. She would be fine. She could do this. She could fully commit to Vereesa and be an even more important part of the boys’ lives.

She cupped Vereesa’s face in gentle hands, deepening their kiss and feeling warm all over. A knock on the door interrupted them and Jaina drew back quickly, a sheepish look on her face as Vereesa smiled and kissed her temple.

“Minn’da!”

“We’re hungry, Minn’da!”

Vereesa looked at Jaina, noting that she looked like a doe in bright lantern lights, and kissed her neck, feeling her pulse pound rapidly under her lips. She smiled again. Jaina would be fine. Jaina could do this. She just needed a little nudge...

“Ready for this?”

“No...” Jaina pouted as Vereesa grinned at her.

“I’m right here,” Vereesa said soothingly.

Jaina brightened a bit, boldly stealing a kiss and climbing out of bed, smoothing her long gown. She walked around to the other side of the bed as Vereesa stood and she changed quickly into the clothes she had worn the previous night.

“Minn’da!”

“Just a minute, boys!” Vereesa palmed her face and Jaina grinned. “You know, I think I might like some chocolate chip pancakes...”

Jaina brightened further. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. And maybe we’ll even share some with the boys...”

They leaned on each other, chuckling and grinning. Vereesa stood up straight after a few moments, running a hand through her hair. As they walked to the door, Jaina felt herself brimming with confidence and excitement.

It was something new, something different, something... good.

Together, they put their hands on the doorknob...

And turned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!
> 
> Idk when I might add to this in the future. I have some tiny little ideas, but nothing concrete yet, plus I’m trying to go back to some Sylvaina WIPs and maybe clear my backlog of story ideas that swim around in my head all day.
> 
> I’ll likely be back with something for these two at some point, just because I enjoy writing them so much.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> I am back after like seven months away from this fic with an idea I've had since I posted chapter 4 back in uhhhhh March. -.- Rip me. I kind of went through a pretty long period of just basically non-existent motivation that ended for a little while back in June and July and allowed me to yeet out another fic and then came back with a vengeance. I've sort of kicked it again, but it will probably rear its ugly-ass head once more, so in the meanwhile, here's an update! It's split in two because it's 10k+ words and I found a cliffhanger-y end point and I do love me some cliffhangers.
> 
> There's some fluff (a lot of fluff), some cheese (a lot of cheese), some angst (ehhh a relatively light amount, in the grand scheme of things), and there may be some light smut (super light), as a treat.

Almost immediately, Jaina and Vereesa were accosted by Giramar and Galadin, and summarily swept into hugs.

“How was your sleepover?” the boys asked in unison as they pulled back, looking up, their eyes wide and curious.

Jaina exchanged a quick look with Vereesa, feeling her cheeks heat up. She bit her lip, unsure how to respond, and breathed a sigh of relief when Vereesa took the lead.

“It was great,” Vereesa said brightly, “we had good food, played games, talked, then went to sleep.”

“What sort of games?” Galadin’s eyes lit up with excitement and Giramar poked him, prompting him to turn.

“I doubt their games were as fun as ours!”

Jaina swallowed, her cheeks still warm. Vereesa gently brushed her arm, turning to her and offering a slightly cheeky smile, but she did not speak, seemingly putting Jaina in the hot seat for the moment. Feeling a burst of confidence and a bit of playfulness, Jaina spoke up, saying, “I’m sure you’re right about that. I don’t think you want to hear about our _boring_ games, how about you tell us what you and your friends played instead?”

“Okay!”

“And while you’re at it, you can help gather the stuff we’ll need to make breakfast,” said Vereesa.

The twins turned to one another with raised eyebrows, then turned back to their mother and Jaina. “What’s for breakfast?”

“You want to tell them?” Vereesa whispered to Jaina, loud enough that the boys could hear.

Jaina flushed further, finding herself caught up in the twins’ excitement. Vereesa rubbed her arm again and Jaina smiled warmly. “Chocolate chip pancakes.”

Giramar and Galadin’s eyes went wide and they gasped, clapping their hands over their mouths first, then clapping excitedly and wrapping Jaina in an embrace that nearly knocked her off her feet. Jaina felt something wash over her, something new. She felt maternal with her arms wrapped around the boys who felt like nephews to her, who—one day—could be her stepsons. She closed her eyes and hugged them tighter, hearing Vereesa chuckle beside her and rest a soft hand on the small of her back.

Jaina finally pulled back, somewhat reluctantly. She felt as though she could hug the boys forever. She knew it was a silly thought, both in the short and long term. One day, they would be old enough to finally set off on their own. They would come back, of course, she knew they would. Vereesa had a beautiful, loving relationship with them already and she was continuing to build her own, determined to be the best influence she could be. She wanted to be someone they would always feel comfortable with, would always be able to turn to if they needed someone.

Vereesa was already that person, she knew that, too. But she felt that the boys (and anyone, for that matter) could never have a shortage of people they loved and trusted. So, she would be another person they could have that bond with and they would make one big, happy family, as idealistic as it sounded. They would do it. It would be real and beautiful and she nearly wept at the thought.

The boys would live their best lives, and she would get to be a part of those lives.

“Okay you two,” she said a bit gruffly, clearing her throat as Vereesa rubbed her back, “go to the kitchen and start getting together everything we’ll need, all right?”

The boys gave her an emphatic nod and raced down the hall, nearly tripping over one another in the process.

“Oh, but _be careful_ , please!” she called after them, nervously chewing on her lip.

Vereesa chuckled and kissed her temple. “Don’t worry, Jaina, they’re surprisingly resilient.”

Jaina leaned against her. “I suppose that’s true. When Tandred was young, he seemed to do all sorts of crazy things that made me worry for him.” She smiled thoughtfully, recalling his kind and understanding reaction when she told him about Vereesa. “He turned out all right, I’d say.”

“See?” Vereesa grinned. “Nothing to worry about.”

Just then, sounds of pots and pans clanking together and cupboards and drawers being roughly pulled open and slammed shut filled their ears. Jaina turned to Vereesa with a raised eyebrow, noting the just _slightly_ worried look on her face, clearly nervous about the prospect of the dual hurricanes known as Galadin and Giramar sweeping through and destroying her kitchen.

“…Maybe just a _bit_ of worry is good,” Jaina teased as Vereesa turned to her with a raised eyebrow of her own and a smirking frown.

“Uh huh…” Vereesa mumbled as Jaina grinned and stole a kiss.

They turned back towards the hallway and took off at a near-sprint, comically racing to the kitchen. They reached it in a flash, nearly falling over one another as the boys almost had. They sucked in deep breaths, finding the kitchen rather shockingly _not_ in disarray and Vereesa chuckled at the sight before her. Giramar was standing on a small step stool to place a large frying pan on the range while Galadin reached up towards him with a plate of sliced butter to coat the pan. On the counter was an assortment of items, all of the ingredients necessary to make the pancakes, along with several plates and glasses. Giramar carefully handed them to his brother, whispering to him to be careful when carrying everything to the table. Galadin just nodded and collected the plates with the glasses expertly balanced atop them. He walked over slowly, putting down a glass and plate at each setting, where placemats and silverware had already been laid out.

Her smile widening, Vereesa leaned against the doorway as Jaina slipped by her to join Giramar at the stove. Galadin finished setting the table and bounced back over to Giramar. He gave Jaina a quick hug, then began measuring out ingredients as Jaina snapped her fingers to instantly light the wood beneath the range. The boys gasped and Jaina bit the inside of her cheek, nervous, wondering if she should have just started a fire the normal way…

“That is _so_ cool!” Giramar exclaimed.

“Yeah, can you teach us how to do that?” Galadin asked excitedly.

“Well,” Jaina began carefully, “it requires a-a connection to the arcane.” She licked her lips and glanced to Vereesa, finding her with an expression that made her feel a bit vulnerable. She swallowed after meeting Vereesa’s eyes, then turned back to the twins. “H-have you—either of you—experienced anything that… might qualify?”

Giramar exchanged a look with Galadin and they both turned back to Jaina briefly, then looked to Jaina’s right. Jaina followed their gaze, her breath catching in her throat when she realized that Vereesa had moved next to her. She softened when Vereesa nodded to the boys.

“Go on,” Vereesa urged gently, giving both of her sons pats on their shoulders, “tell Jaina what you’ve discovered.”

Jaina sucked in a breath, feeling nervous once more as she looked between Vereesa (who smirked and winked at her) and the twins (who both put on decidedly mischievous grins). “It’s all right,” she encouraged, kneeling so that she was roughly eye level with them. Vereesa knelt with her. “You can tell me.”

Giramar and Galadin exchanged looks again and Jaina saw their cheeks turn rosy, their faces a bit nervous. A slight chill ran through her as she watched them hold out one hand each, palm up, closing their eyes and screwing them tightly shut in concentration. They were going to _show_ rather than tell apparently, and Jaina looked intently at their hands, watching for signs of magic that may present themselves. She could not suppress her first gasp of surprise and her second one of delight, when both boys managed to summon tiny sparks of fire on their palms, slowly growing in intensity until the flames reached a couple of inches in height before going out quickly, like candles blown on a birthday cake.

“ _We did it!_ ” shrieked Galadin.

“That was the longest so far!” cried Giramar.

Jaina covered her mouth with both hands, turning to Vereesa and finding her beaming with pride. Jaina drew the three into a group hug, managing to hold herself together, putting all of her jumbled and joyful thoughts into the embrace, closing her eyes and laughing, feeling lightheaded but utterly elated. The boys had inherited their father’s magical affinity, along with his kind and caring nature. She glanced at Vereesa once more, finding the woman she loved with soft tears in her eyes and an expression that plainly displayed her pride and happiness but was tinged by just the slightest bit of sorrow.

Small seeds of doubt and guilt began to take root within her and she swallowed audibly enough to warrant a glance from Vereesa. The emotion in the look they exchanged weighed heavily on Jaina’s heart and she opened her mouth as if to say something, but what could she say? What could she say in general, after the private talks they had already had, and what could she possibly say in front of the boys?

In lieu of saying anything, she leaned towards Vereesa and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, closing her eyes against the tears that threatened to break through. Vereesa hummed in response and the four held one another for a few more moments before Vereesa stood and patted the boys’ shoulders once more.

“You guys are hungry, right?” Vereesa said with an easy grin, leaning down to look into their eyes. Beside her, Jaina got to her feet. The boys both nodded vigorously. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get breakfast made and maybe after… Jaina will have time to show you a spell or two before you’re off to school.”

Jaina felt her cheeks grow warm as the boys turned to her with wide eyes and thoroughly excited looks on their faces, faces that were red from screaming and smiling. Jaina answered their pleading looks with a quick nod and said, “Do as your mother says and I’ll teach you how to control those flames.” The pair gasped, shock and delight evident on their faces, and turned around, quickly beginning to measure out and then mix ingredients. Jaina felt Vereesa tug her away by the hand and she instinctively followed, stopping when Vereesa did, near the doorway of the kitchen. Jaina could not contain the joy she felt and she pushed down the doubt and guilt slowly growing inside her to whisper, “They have magic!”

She could not help it, she felt like an excited kid. Rhonin lived on within the boys, in so many ways. Jaina was intrigued, wanting to discover more of what the boys could do, and wanting to help them further grow their innate talent, develop what they were born with into useful skills. She imagined, once they were older, they would be properly educated by the Kirin Tor, trained to officially become mages. She would support their education and training, but she would also take great pride in being able to instill in them what she knew, perhaps even give them a leg up in their studies. The prospect of being able to teach them about magic made her heart swell with pride and she realized she was smiling to an almost painful degree, her cheeks beginning to burn with the effort. She dropped her wide smile in favor of a smaller, lighter, slightly more reserved one, leaning into Vereesa’s right palm when she reached up to caress her face.

Vereesa struggled to sort through all the emotions she currently felt. She knew early on that the boys had possessed at least a small affinity for magic and she had encouraged them to read, but to be careful they did not hurt themselves or others if they practiced, as they were both too young to begin training with the Kirin Tor. As such, they would need to be slowly nurtured instead, while primarily focusing on their other studies, and that meant only exploring their magic when it was specifically asked for them to do so. Now, with the boys a little older and with Jaina poised to become much more of a constant figure in their lives, showing her what they knew made all the sense in the world.

Still, Vereesa felt a pang when the boys used magic. A pang of loss, a pang of wistfulness, a pang of wondering what could have been.

It was a slippery slope, one that Vereesa refused to go down, but one that made its appearance known every so often. Rhonin was gone, but his presence and influence would always be around. Vereesa knew that and she knew, too, that she had spent years just trying to convince herself to let anyone else into her heart. It had been a slow, painful process, one that required a fair amount of work on her part, work that continued and would continue for probably some time. She wished things were different. She wished things could just be perfect. She wished Jaina could wave a hand and perform a spell that forced away all the bad thoughts.

She had told Jaina that what was between them would not end, that nothing would happen to ruin things, and she believed it. It just took work to keep believing it, work that she was more than happy to continue doing… it was just difficult, sometimes. She watched as Jaina turned to look at the boys as they began pouring the pancake mix (overloaded with chocolate chips, naturally) into the heated pan on the range. She took the brief moment to look down at her left hand, at her finger that bore small indents and a lighter color from when she had last worn her ring.

It had not been very long ago. She took it off when she saw Jaina, but something compelled her to put it on during the times they were not together. She missed wearing it all the time, missed being married. She swallowed. She loved Jaina. She knew Jaina loved her. They had discussed general plans for the future, plans where they were together… but did that include marriage? Did Jaina even wish to get married?

It was those thoughts, thoughts that she had not yet shared with Jaina, that truly made her miss her old life, that truly made her miss being someone’s wife.

The ring represented the ultimate level of commitment to Vereesa, as silly as she knew it was. A ring. A bit of metal. Just an object. She and Rhonin had been committed to one another, it would not have mattered if they had rings or anything else to officially represent their relationship. Likewise, she and Jaina were committed, and she knew a ring would not matter. But still… it felt nice, the weight on her finger. It looked nice, a simple band of gold.

“I’ll be right back,” she whispered suddenly. At Jaina’s somewhat confused look, she gave a quick response to Jaina’s earlier exclamation, murmuring, “I’ve known for a while and I’m so excited to see what you can teach them, now that they’re a bit older and, hopefully, a bit more careful, at least as far as magic is concerned…” She kissed Jaina’s forehead, watching the woman she loved soften and relax, then turned and disappeared down the hallway and into her room.

She pulled open the drawer of her bedside table, opening the small box containing her wedding ring. Her hand shook as she lifted it from its velvet bed, her fingers turning it over and over. She slipped it on and flexed her hand, looking at it. For a moment, she was married again, she was back in her old life. She shook her head to clear the thought, but she did not remove the ring. She formed a new thought instead, one of her and Jaina walking down the aisle in lovely dresses, stunning in their simplicity, the two of them radiating love and warmth and happiness. She held fast to that image and kept her ring on, closing the box with a gentle snap and placing it back in the drawer.

She kept the drawer open and looked at the box within, thinking. It would be the first time Jaina had seen her with the ring on since what had essentially been their first date—their picnic—weeks and weeks before. She would happily explain why she was wearing it again, what she wanted, but she hoped Jaina would not take it personally if she noticed it before that explanation. Perhaps, she should not wear it. Their relationship was still relatively new and the ring could be seen as an insult, even though Vereesa just liked how it felt when worn and liked what it represented, the idea of having a full commitment to someone.

Something snapped inside her and she pushed down the voice telling her she was being rude and hurtful and not remotely considerate of Jaina’s feelings. She felt a wave of selfishness pass over her and her cheeks and the tips of her ears grew almost uncomfortably warm. She and Jaina were okay, were they not? They had grown closer, they had admitted their love for one another, they had finally slept together, they had talked about committing to one another… surely a ring—a bit of metal, just an object—would not have any adverse effect?

Vereesa liked the ring.

She would wear the ring.

And she would deal with the potential consequences later.

She looked at the box again and then the ring on her finger. She flexed her hand once more, watching the ring gleam brightly in the sunlight coming in through the window. Her stomach clenched then and something coiled around her heart and she quickly slipped off the ring, second thoughts gripping her. She reached into the open drawer and pulled out the box, tucking the ring back inside and snapping it closed again. She looked at her hand, looked at the indents and the much paler circle around her finger. She sighed and shook her head, then smiled ever so faintly as she stood and shut the drawer, leaving the room.

She made her way back to the kitchen, sidling up to Jaina and wrapping her arms around her, kissing her hair as she assisted with finishing up the last batch of pancakes. The boys seemed to have the task well in hand and Jaina picked up a platter of steaming pancakes along with a small pitcher of syrup. She tried to turn in Vereesa’s arms, but Vereesa refused to move, humming when Jaina gave a good-natured chuckle.

“I can’t really move, you know…”

“Oh believe me, I’m well aware.”

Vereesa kissed her hair once more as Jaina chuckled again, and finally, reluctantly, she let her go. She was rewarded with a soft peck on the cheek as Jaina passed her and moved to the table, setting down the syrup and the pancakes that looked to be about nine parts chocolate chip and one part actual pancake. She grinned and shook her head, unable to deny that they looked rather delectable, even so. She moved to the icebox to fetch a bottle of milk and brought it to the table, filling the glasses and placing the near-empty bottle by the pancake platter. She stole a kiss from an adorably red Jaina, then sat down in a chair and patted the one next to her. Jaina took the offered seat as the boys made their way over and took their own.

“These are… very interesting pancakes, my dears,” Vereesa said sweetly, arching an eyebrow at her sons.

Galadin crossed his arms over his chest, proudly huffing, “They’re the best pancakes _ever_.”

Giramar nodded and crossed his arms, too. “There will _never_ be better pancakes than these.”

Vereesa arched her eyebrow even higher—which was quite the feat when one had brows the length of the silverware they were using to eat—and offered a rather wicked smile. “So… would that mean we won’t be having these anymore? If you cannot _possibly_ make them better than they are, surely there’s no reason to try again…”

“No!” they cried in unison.

Vereesa caught Jaina’s rather adorably amused grin out of the corner of her eye.

“Well, I think we could possibly make them better,” Jaina countered, a twinkle in her eye. “We could try to find the perfect ratio of pancake to chocolate chip, for not only the best flavor, but so that we’re not just essentially having _chocolate_ for breakfast.” Her grin widened as she pressed on. “If you can find that right balance, perhaps your mother wouldn’t mind having chocolate chip pancakes every so often…”

She gave the boys a knowing look and a less than subtle wink and Vereesa huffed a laugh. It seemed Jaina was beginning to bring about her own parenting techniques to provide a contrast between parenting styles. Vereesa admired how quickly she had stepped up to the plate. “She does have a point...” Vereesa mirrored the cheeky look on Jaina’s face.

Jaina licked her lips, emboldened. “Perhaps… you can even find ways to make them more healthy, while still retaining the chocolate deliciousness, hm?”

The boys looked absolutely delighted and Jaina found herself even more amused than she had been. Maybe, this parenting thing would not be as difficult as she had feared… She knew she had a long way to go and she knew that not every situation would be like this, but it gave her hope knowing that she had not only managed to overcome an obstacle, but that she had done so in a way that made Vereesa pretty clearly happy with her.

But, not everything would be as simple as healthier chocolate chip pancakes. The boys would hit puberty in a couple years, most likely. Their personalities may change, they may become more difficult to parent. Even at their current age, even with how respectful and kind, but still curious and mischievous they were, it was possible they may have moments of acting out. Jaina imagined that Vereesa would take the lead, then, and she would follow. But, Vereesa may be out and about or working or perhaps even just unable to deal with them, and it could very well be left up to Jaina to discipline them if necessary, or simply talk to them, find out the source of the way they were acting, and determine a way to help them and ensure they always felt comfortable and safe talking to her as well as Vereesa.

She wanted to be someone they could always turn to, someone who would always treat them with kindness and respect, someone they were not afraid to confide in. She had thought about it earlier, but it was so important. Her relationship with her father had been complicated, especially as she grew older and their differing views came into the spotlight. A chill pricked the back of her neck and raced down her spine at the thought of how that relationship had ultimately ended. Tides forbid she ever have something even remotely _close_ to that happen with the boys.

Her relationship with her mother had been strained as well, though her return to Kul Tiras, being banished to Thros, and her escape when her mother realized the mistake in trusting Ashvane, had gone a long way to repair it. As it currently stood, she was on excellent terms with her currently living (and unliving… or undead…) family members. It was a relief. She felt like her life was the most stable it had ever been and she was more than grateful that she could be less stressed than she might normally be. At least that stress was not related to her family, and that was a rather impressive feat.

She realized when Vereesa nudged her thigh with her own that she had been silent for a while, lost in her thoughts, and her eyes went wide. “Sorry, I…“

“Where’d you go?” Vereesa asked, peering at her with a smile as the boys looked at her as well.

Jaina glanced down briefly, a crooked smile appearing on her face as she chuckled and murmured, “I was just… thinking about how happy I am.”

“Awww,” cooed Giramar and Galadin, their tones teasing as Vereesa laughed.

“Hey,” Jaina protested, still smiling, “I think I’m allowed to be a little sappy once in a while, you know.”

“You are,” Vereesa said, her eyes shining as she kissed Jaina’s cheek, “and we’re allowed to rib you about it because you know we’ll be sappy sometimes, too.”

“Mhm,” murmured Jaina, pointing to her plate and tapping it twice, causing two pancakes to be lifted from the platter and plunked down in front of her. She turned to the syrup and repeated the motion, making the pitcher pour for a couple of seconds before lifting back up and returning to the table. She picked up her fork and knife and dug in, pointedly ignoring the open mouthed stares of shock from Vereesa and the twins. She used her fork to swirl her piece of pancake in syrup and pop it into her mouth. She looked at the three as she chewed, saying innocently, “What?”

The twins eagerly pointed to and tapped their own plates, trying to mimic Jaina’s actions. Jaina hid her grin behind her hand as Vereesa gently pinched her thigh under the table. She turned to Vereesa, finding her rolling her eyes but smiling, and she gave her a quick peck on the lips and an even quicker wink. “You know they’re going to bug you until you teach them how to do that, right?” Vereesa’s eyes sparkled and she pinched Jaina’s thigh again.

“It’s an easy one to teach, in my opinion,” Jaina said, feeling confident. “It won’t take very long, and then we can master conjured flames.”

The boys gasped, clearly thrilled that they were going to be learning another spell as well. The looks of joy and eager excitement on their faces filled Jaina with so much pride she thought she may burst. She turned to Vereesa, closing her eyes and sighing softly at the tender kiss Vereesa placed on her temple.

“I love you,” Vereesa whispered as Jaina opened her eyes. She reached up to stroke Jaina’s cheek with the back of her hand and Jaina swallowed when she spotted indents and a much lighter skin color on Vereesa’s finger.

Her ring finger.

Her _left_ ring finger.

She forced a smile onto her face, giving Vereesa a peck on the cheek and turning back to her food, pushing herself to finish her pancakes even as she felt her stomach begin to turn. It seemed Vereesa had been wearing her _wedding ring_ fairly recently, something she had not seen her wear since their first date. There had been multiple discussions, many feelings shared, and the two had agreed that their relationship was theirs and theirs alone, that it would not be haunted by a ghost.

And yet, the morning after they had exchanged heartfelt declarations of love, the morning after they had physically expressed that love, Vereesa was sporting obvious marks of the symbol of her previous relationship, of her _marriage_. Marks that Jaina could not remember seeing, but perhaps the bright morning light had illuminated Vereesa’s hands in a way she had not noticed before. Or, perhaps, Jaina had been terribly unobservant, so lost was she in how much she loved the woman at her side that she had missed them. Judging by the skin color and the intensity of the indents, they had to have been there for quite some time and yet, she could not recall seeing them before now.

Jaina's mind was swarmed with thoughts. What did it mean? Did it even mean anything? Did Vereesa just like wearing a ring in general and enjoyed wearing it on that finger? Did she just like how her wedding ring looked? Or, did she regret everything she had said? Did she still long for Rhonin? Did she actually wish that Jaina had perished instead, despite denying it, despite saying how awful she felt to even think that way?

She wanted to cry. She could feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, could feel a sob (and her breakfast) begin to rise in her throat. Vereesa’s voice broke her out of her thoughts like a harsh slap and she barely stopped her gasp before it escaped her lips.

“All right boys, get yourselves ready for school, or you’re going to be late.”

“Aww, can we skip today?” Giramar pleaded, pouting.

“Yeah, we want to learn magic with Jaina!” added Galadin.

At the mention of her name, Jaina looked up and swallowed, realizing she was only barely following the conversation. She collected herself and said, as brightly as she could manage, “Listen to your mother. Get ready for school and when you come home and you’ve done all your homework, we’ll work on spells until it’s time for dinner, okay?”

The boys looked at each other, then looked back at Jaina and grinned. “Okay!” they all but shouted, and raced to their rooms.

“Brush your teeth, please!” Vereesa called after them, chuckling as she stood and gathered the empty plates and glasses. “That was a good breakfast, I have to admit,” she said as she walked to the sink. “Hey, you got any spells that can wash these for me?”

Jaina stood and forced her emotions further down, fighting against the urge to burst out in anger and confusion, to bombard Vereesa with question after question about the ring marks. She would be civil. Vereesa at least deserved that, she thought, deserved a chance to explain herself, to put Jaina’s mind at ease.

“Jaina?” Vereesa asked, putting a lathered-up sponge to good use and scrubbing dried syrup off one of the plates. “You all right?”

Jaina just nodded, but she looked less than furtively in the direction of Vereesa’s hand, her eyes watching as the ring marks seemed to become even more evident in the sunlight pouring through the small window in the kitchen. Vereesa noticed, she had to have noticed. The ball was in her court, but Jaina found herself feeling even sicker than she had been, new seeds of doubt sprouting and growing unhindered within her. She took a shaky breath and stood. She did not want to be there any longer. “I should check on Mother and Tandred, make sure the rest of last night’s meeting went well.”

Vereesa watched as Jaina began to teleport away and she nearly dropped the plate in her hand as she rushed to stop her. She set the plate down with a loud clack, dropping the sponge atop it. Jaina noticed the ring marks, she had to have noticed. “Jaina, wait!”

Jaina stopped and Vereesa’s heart broke at the look on Jaina’s face. She looked so hurt and betrayed and deeply confused. Vereesa’s fingers instinctively went to her hand and she rubbed the pale skin anxiously with her fingertips as Jaina visibly swallowed, lips slightly parted as if she wanted to say something, to launch into a verbal attack. Vereesa knew she deserved it. It was her own fault for wearing it, it was her own fault for not being more open. She knew her desire to wear the ring when she had not been with Jaina, to wear the outwardly obvious universal symbol of marriage, a bit of metal, an object, should have been thrust away. She had been inconsiderate and passive(-aggressive) at best and cruel and hurtful at worst.

What was she thinking? What _had_ she been thinking?

She moved to Jaina so quickly that she saw the woman she loved, the woman she utterly adored and respected and wanted to spend her life with, shrink away from her. “Jaina, I was so stupid, I didn’t mean—“

Jaina let out the softest of scoffs as she jerked her head towards Vereesa’s hand. “Please, don’t let me get in the way.”

Her voice was bitter, bitter like the medicine they had taken when they were sick, and suddenly Vereesa’s head was filled with the memories of them having been ill just a couple nights before, how they talked sweetly and held each other, how they had kissed and taken a soothing bath when they were feeling better. Things had been simple and beautiful between them. It felt like a lifetime ago now.

Vereesa grasped her hands as she tried to teleport once more. “Jaina, let me explain. It isn’t what you think, I _promise_.”

Jaina was stiff, her expression empty. “Explain then.”

She sounded like she was about done, like Vereesa had one chance before Jaina walked out on her forever. Vereesa hated herself in that moment. She had fucked up, she was about to lose one of the best things that had ever happened to her. All for a feeling she wanted to experience again, a feeling she wanted to experience with Jaina, a feeling that she had foolishly wrapped in a ring. A bit of metal. An object. An inconsequential object.

“Before you say anything,” Vereesa began, her voice rough with the sobs beginning to build within her, “let me get all of this out. Let me try to explain where I was coming from. Then… then you can make your judgment.”

Jaina said nothing, but she folded her arms over her chest, looking the most unapproachable she ever had. Vereesa thought for a moment that she would feel safer with Jaina’s staff at her throat.

“I’ve moved on from Rhonin. It’s been difficult, I’m not going to lie to you. It’s been an incredible struggle. I see him in the boys _every day_ , Jaina.”

Jaina seemed to soften just the tiniest amount and Vereesa wondered if Jaina was thinking about the boys' display of magic in the kitchen. She pressed on.

“I… wear it when I’m not with you.”

Jaina hardened again and Vereesa felt herself faltering a little. She sucked in a breath.

“I don’t wear it because of Rhonin, I wear it because I miss what it represents. I know it’s ridiculous, but to me, it represents the ultimate commitment two people can make to one another. That’s… that's what I think about.”

Jaina’s lips were thin as she considered Vereesa’s words. Talking about commitment, the ultimate commitment, the commitment that would last forever… she realized she wanted that, too. She wanted a ring, she wanted that symbol, that bit of metal, that object. But she hurt. _This_ hurt. She licked trembling lips and looked down the hall towards the boys’ room.

“Boys!” she called.

“Yes, Aunt Jaina?” they called back.

“Can you get yourselves to school on your own today?” She looked back to Vereesa, finding her with a look that was fearful but softened by the slightest bit of something else, something that looked like relief. Or hope.

“Yeah!” Giramar replied.

“Oh yeah, we’ll be fine!” Galadin added.

“Good. Your mother and I need to take off, but we’ll see you tonight.”

They responded with their understanding and Jaina locked eyes with Vereesa, heaving a sigh as she opened a portal. She gave a slight nod and Vereesa stepped through first. Jaina swallowed thickly, sighing once more as a chill ran through her. She was unsure what to expect when she went through. She had given her whole heart to Vereesa and she thought Vereesa had given hers as well. She looked at the portal, at the swirling magic within, and she breathed deeply, then stepped through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 6 will probably be posted when I stop messing with it, so likely soonish? Maybe? It shouldn’t be too long, though. 💕


	6. Chapter 6

Jaina emerged, with trepidation, in her bedroom at Proudmoore Keep. Her heartbeat hammered loudly in her ears and her chest felt uncomfortably tight. She waved a hand to dissolve the portal, then scanned the room for Vereesa. She found her at the window with her arms crossed over her chest, her shoulders shivering.

Jaina gathered herself as best she could, crossing her arms over her chest as well. Vereesa loved her, she did not doubt that. What she did doubt was whether Vereesa loved her enough to truly move on, to truly step away from her past and fully embrace her future. Rhonin’s memory would always exist, would always linger. Jaina understood and accepted that, but with all they had discussed, with all they had shared, she thought they had both moved forward.

She thought about the ring marks again, thought about how she had been so enamored, so taken, so completely _in love_ with Vereesa that she had not even noticed, not until they had been, quite literally, in front of her face. She looked at Vereesa, still standing at the window, tremulous and silent. Her ears were down and her profile looked as dark and stormy as Jaina felt.

Jaina reached down deep inside herself, finding a small bit of courage, and she spoke first, heaving a sigh and saying, "I don't understand why you felt like you had to hide this from me. I'd like to think I would have appreciated your explanation and... well... perhaps not entirely understood it, but I would have at least sympathized. We've talked about so much over all these weeks together, but we somehow never talked about _this_." She took a breath and asked softly, her voice tinged with self-doubt, "I'm not _that_ difficult to talk to, am I?"

"No," Vereesa said at once, turning to her, "no, you're very easy to talk to. I just... had no idea how to even talk about this without it hurting you, so I avoided doing it and I ended up hurting you even more than if I had just owned up to this in the first place." She uncrossed her arms, almost flailing about, as if she had no idea what to do with her limbs. "You're the first person I've been with since Rhonin and I never took my ring off before you and I started seeing each other. It was a part of me, just as Rhonin was and will always be."

Jaina watched her through wary eyes, her mind swimming again. She knew, deep down, that Vereesa had not meant to hurt her. But even so, she _had_ been hurt and she had been worried that their relationship was haunted by Rhonin's ghost.

"You're the first person I've been with since Kalec," she said quietly. "I know it doesn't remotely compare, and I'm not trying to make a comparison, I just want to say that I understand feeling like you have to work through your own issues, in your own way, before being anywhere near ready to open yourself up to anyone else. I had so much guilt over Theramore, Vereesa, guilt that's stayed with me for years after and affected everything I did and everyone I came into contact with." She almost choked on a sob and she shuddered before she continued, "You know that because I've told you. I felt guilty and angry and I didn't trust myself and I didn't want to burden anyone with who I was, because I was broken, and I spent _years_ being broken." Tears filled her eyes and lingered on the ends of her lashes and her voice cracked and she gave up trying to say anything else.

Vereesa found herself wanting to go to Jaina, to embrace her. She understood all of how Jaina felt and much more, she understood the feeling of being broken, of not trusting oneself, of not wanting to place any burden on another person. She and Jaina had both spent years working through their issues, working to become better people, working to not let themselves be tormented by their pasts. It had been difficult and it still was. Falling into a canyon full of depression and guilt and failure and doubt had been easy. Taking the steps to slowly climb out had been incredibly hard, but doing so had been worth it. They had emerged, bearing wounds and scars from the climb, wounds that would take time to heal and scars that would always remain, but they had gotten out. The wounds just did not heal as quickly or as nicely as Vereesa had wished, and she imagined Jaina felt the same. Some became scars to add to the pile, others festered and required more care, care that still continued.

Wearing her ring had been part of that healing process. She missed what it represented and she wanted it again and she had admitted it, but she should have done so much sooner. She absently touched her ring finger. It seemed almost insane how one misguided decision—a decision made to bolster her own feelings and spare Jaina's—had become so volatile. They had been through so much, together and apart, and Vereesa hoped she had not ruined everything.

They were both silent for some time, Vereesa reflecting on their talk (their argument? their fight?) thus far and trying and failing to think of something to say that would ease the tension, that would help make things better and not worse. Terrified of exacerbating the situation, she stayed silent for the time being, and hoped that Jaina was considering her words, was considering how much Vereesa loved her and vice versa. She looked towards Jaina, finding her eyes fixed on her hand and she considered dropping it from view, but what was the point? Everything was out now and Vereesa was dealing with the consequences that she knew would come.

 _Consequences_.

She nearly scoffed at her mind’s choice of word. It sounded terrible and she knew it did not reflect how she actually thought. She had feelings. Feelings she had shared, feelings she should have shared earlier, feelings they were now properly discussing. Relationships would always have ups and downs, they were not perfect, nor were they meant to be, she thought. They were like a fire starting from just two small bits of kindling, stoked by love and care, and if they were strong enough, nurtured enough, they would endure anything and everything and become stronger, more powerful, full of even more love and care, burning brilliantly for the present and future.

That was what was happening here, or so she hoped. She tried to avoid fearing the worst, her stomach tying itself into so many knots she felt like she could singlehandedly tie down all the sails on a ship.

She was suddenly ripped out of her thoughts, her breath catching in her throat, when Jaina broke the silence, still looking at her hand.

“Your ring…” Jaina began and Vereesa stiffened. “Will you wear that ring forever, then?”

“I... Jaina...” she pleaded. She still did not know what to say, was still gripped and nearly paralyzed by fear.

Pursing her lips, Jaina asked, “What if there’s a ring I want you to wear?”

Vereesa’s mouth dropped open, but Jaina did not acknowledge it. Vereesa was full of trepidation, but there was something different in Jaina's voice. She sounded a bit lighter, softer, albeit still tense and hurt. Vereesa finally found some words, spurred on by Jaina's change in tone and demeanor. “Are you saying...?”

Vereesa thought it felt as though an eternity had passed before Jaina finally spoke.

“Maybe.”

And another. Vereesa felt a small bit of hope begin to light within her and Jaina spoke again, fueling the feeling.

“Maybe. So what if I am?”

Vereesa began to walk towards her, stopping when they were still a few paces apart. She searched Jaina's eyes, eyes that looked somehow bright yet murky and cautiously optimistic yet slightly anxious. She pressed on, the small fiery hope inside her beginning to grow into a roaring flame. “Jaina... are you saying you want to marry me?”

Jaina did not answer right away. She looked into Vereesa's eyes, feeling that those eyes mirrored what she felt, mirrored the good and bad feelings, mirrored the courage and hope she was trying to build up while pushing down the fear and doubt so she could freely say what she wanted, to try to mend things between them, to ensure that they wanted the same thing. She felt a tiny spark build within her, a tiny spark growing like the boys’ magic before breakfast. She felt it continue building and she was determined to keep it going, determined to help it grow. She took a deep, somewhat steadying breath.

“I... Maybe... Someday...” Jaina nearly stumbled over the words, feeling alternately nervous and sure of herself at the same time and wondering how that was even possible. She noted that Vereesa had softened, noted her eyes glimmering with unshed tears, her cheeks flushed with color, her lips turning up in a tentative beginning of a smile. She took a breath, gasping when it caught in her throat. “Maybe…” she said again, as Vereesa’s smile grew just a bit more. Jaina put her hands on her hips in a pose perfectly befitting how she now felt, her anger gone entirely, replaced by an almost silly feeling that was still tinged with seriousness. She still had to know exactly where they stood, still had to know they were on the same page. The fire inside her rose to new heights and she felt warm and encouraged and she pressed on. A bit gruffly, she demanded, “Is that not where we’re headed? Is that not where we’re going to end up one day? Us. Together. _Married_. For the rest of our lives?”

“Jaina...” Tears danced on Vereesa’s eyelashes and she took a step forward as Jaina stepped back, the latter still feeling a bit cautious and protective of her heart.

“I want to marry you,” Jaina said finally, emotion clogging her throat as she opened herself up completely. “I don’t know when, I just know that I do. I want you to wear a ring. I want you to wear _my_ ring. A ring I agonize and probably ask for help with in picking out from your family or mine. Maybe both. I don’t know.” She finally took a pause and a deep breath and she walked towards Vereesa, waving and pointing a finger at her. “I don’t know. I just know it’s going to be the perfect ring.” Her hand shook and so did the rest of her, chest heaving with quick, huffy breaths. Her face felt impossibly warm.

“Jaina...” Vereesa tried again, moving closer and carefully taking Jaina’s very shaky, very animated hands in hers. She wished she had more words, but her head was swimming with visions of her and Jaina walking down the aisle, then spending time with the boys, then tangled up as they lost themselves in each other. She saw their futures in her mind, saw what lay ahead, and she fervently wished for it, wanting it sooner rather than later. She smiled fully.

“Yes, that’s my name,” Jaina said, trying to wave her hands, her hands that were being tenderly held and softly rubbed by Vereesa. “Are you just going to keep saying it, or—“

Vereesa squeezed Jaina’s hands and pressed forward, kissing her so forcefully, so deeply, so passionately, that she felt her relax completely, felt her melt, heard a quiet gasp that became a nearly imperceptible sob. She dropped Jaina’s hands and wrapped her arms around the woman she loved, slipping almost desperate hands into white hair that looked nearly as wild as she knew Jaina felt. Jaina held her, too. Softly, tentatively, at first, then so strongly and securely that she felt as if Jaina never wanted to let her go. Her heart swelled as they continued to kiss and hold each other.

They clung to one another, two flames joined as one, licking higher and higher, engulfed in a mutual passion and desire, a display of love and wild abandon, fueled by hope, burning brightly together. They pulled back almost reluctantly, but breathing was a thing—a generally _good_ thing, at that—and something they both needed to do, just for a bit.

“I should have asked to talk about this before,” Vereesa whispered breathlessly, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I shouldn’t have done what I did. I’m an idiot.”

Jaina inclined her head, giving Vereesa a cheeky smile and nod as Vereesa frowned and stared.

“Thanks,” Vereesa said, a smile beginning to turn her lips upwards as she placed her hands on her hips.

Jaina stole a kiss, grinning now, and said, “It’s all right. I’m an idiot, too.”

Vereesa scoffed. “I don't know about that...”

“I feel like this is something we could spend the rest of our lives debating,” Jaina reasoned, finally feeling herself soften fully, a weight lifted off her shoulders.

“Probably,” Vereesa agreed, pressing her forehead to Jaina’s, “and maybe I’ll even let you win now and then...”

Jaina closed her eyes, shaking her head gently as she reached out to pinch Vereesa’s cheek, prompting a chuckle. “I think sometimes I’d be more than happy to lose to you.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Vereesa whispered, pulling back just enough to kiss Jaina’s forehead and then her cheeks, shining with tears. “I love you, you know.”

“I know,” Jaina whispered back, cupping Vereesa’s face in her hands and exhaling a long breath. She leaned against Vereesa’s forehead again. Her voice was incredibly quiet as she spoke, her words sincere. “This is it for me, Vereesa. You’re the only one I want. You’re my last stop.”

Vereesa swallowed hard, reaching out to pull Jaina flush against her, bringing their lips crashing together in a kiss that she poured her entire being into, her feelings and emotions, her residual tiny doubts and insecurities, her beliefs and hopes for the future.

Would it be easy? Maybe. Maybe not. They would be merging two families, the twins would be gaining a mother, two uncles, and a grandmother. She was gaining a wife and in-laws and so was Jaina. And Jaina would also be gaining two sons. Two sons who already adored her and wanted her around as much as possible.

She found herself smiling as they kissed. Perhaps, it _would_ be easy. Even if it wasn’t, it was something new, something different, something... good.

She pressed against the woman she loved as they continued to kiss, carefully slipping a hand between them to begin unbuttoning Jaina’s blouse.

“Wait,” Jaina breathed.

“Something wrong?”

“No, just…" She sighed and chuckled, shaking her head a little. "I was actually serious about Mother and Tandred. I should be there to see everyone off. The meetings should be over, so everyone should be—“

Vereesa cut her off with a kiss, slipping one hand into her hair and bringing the other to the small of her back, kissing her deeply, messily. She only pulled back when she heard Jaina whimper softly against her lips. She kissed Jaina’s forehead, smiling—smirking, actually—as Jaina recovered. She looked into Jaina’s eyes, noting the beautiful look of love there, the look that said Jaina was wholly devoted to her and nothing would change that. She swallowed and shivered and kissed her again, forcefully opening the rest of the buttons on her blouse and casting it aside. She pushed Jaina over to a wall, lavishing her with more kisses as she continued undressing her.

She paused briefly to tease, “You still thinking about work?” She nipped at Jaina’s neck, not enough to leave marks, but enough to force a reaction from Jaina—more than one, in fact. Her breath hitched in her throat, her shoulders shook, and a moan slipped past her lips. A breathless chuckle escaped as well and Jaina stroked Vereesa’s hair and tilted her head slightly to give her a better angle.

“Not really,” she admitted, sighing contentedly as Vereesa resumed her nibbles and kisses.

“Good,” Vereesa said, pulling back to look into Jaina’s half-lidded eyes, “because I’d like to show you exactly how much I love you.”

Jaina arched an eyebrow, swallowing at the earnestness of Vereesa’s words. She brushed her nose against Vereesa’s, glancing down at her lips, lips that were beginning to twist into a decidedly wicked smirk. Her own twitched into a soft, teasing smile and she stole a kiss. “Oh yeah?”

“Uh huh.” Vereesa stole a kiss, too.

Her voice low and gravelly, Jaina murmured, “In that case… I’m sure Mother and Tandred will be fine without me…”

“Good,” Vereesa said again, her voice matching the quiet, gravelly tone of Jaina’s, “because I want to be thorough and that may take a while…”

Jaina felt herself blush rather fiercely and she knew Vereesa saw it as she was now sporting a rather smug smile. “Take all the time you need,” she said, “you have my full attention.”

As Vereesa drew her into another kiss, soft hands roaming her body, Jaina considered their argument and their resolution and their full commitment to one another. She had, essentially, proposed (or had announced her intention to do so, anyway), though she fully planned to do something at least a touch more elaborate later, and she imagined Vereesa felt the same. For now, though, she could relax and rest easy, secure in the knowledge that she and Vereesa were together and nothing and no one would change that.

***

Bright sunlight poured in through the window, casting a warm glow on a breathless Jaina still pressed against the wall with Vereesa pressed against her, an eager yet gentle hand between her thighs.

"Tides…" Jaina murmured, sagging against the wall as Vereesa brought the movement of her fingers to a crawl and pressed open kisses against her neck. "I think you made a solid argument…"

"Good," husked Vereesa, moving to lay a kiss against Jaina's jaw, "there are plenty more where that came from…"

Jaina gasped as Vereesa suddenly increased the pace of her fingers, her knees shaking as she fought to stay on her feet. "O-oh?" she asked weakly, her eyelids shuddering to a close.

Vereesa dipped down to nip at her collarbone. "Mhm," she purred, "I'm not stopping unless you ask me to."

Jaina felt a thin layer of sweat begin to bead at her hairline, felt her muscles begin to tighten once more. She slipped her arms around Vereesa’s neck, threading her fingers through slightly tousled silver hair. Softly, she said, "I do have a request…"

Vereesa looked up to press a light kiss to Jaina's lips, her fingers drawing out increasingly sharper and ragged breaths. "Anything."

"Once you've successfully made your current point, I'm going to need to lie down before you start the next."

"Understandable," Vereesa said with a chuckle, swallowing the moan that left Jaina's lips. "I think that can be arranged."

"G-good…" Jaina managed, and it was not long before Vereesa brought her to a second peak, a peak that had her leaning even more heavily against the wall, panting and trembling and whispering soft curses as she slowly recovered. "I'm glad we're on the same page."

"I think we always have been," Vereesa said gently and Jaina met her gaze, swallowing at the deeply sincere look in her eyes, "we just didn't quite have the same interpretation of the text."

Jaina allowed herself to be guided over to her bed and she pushed back the covers, slipping in and laying on her side as Vereesa climbed in next to her, trailing gentle fingertips along her hip and thigh. "I think you're right about that," she said with a soft smile, "but I'd say we have the same idea now."

Vereesa nodded and leaned forward to kiss her. "Do you need a recess," Vereesa asked then and Jaina flushed and chuckled at her smug grin, "or are you prepared for the next bit of evidence?"

”I think a short recess is in order,” she admitted, her ears warm, “but I wouldn’t object to just being held for a while...” She quirked an eyebrow. “And I do hope you’ll allow me a chance to make a case of my own at some point...”

Vereesa cast her gaze upwards, stroking her chin as if in deep thought, and Jaina dropped her head to hide her grin and burning cheeks. Leaning in and nuzzling Jaina's nose with hers, Vereesa whispered, "I think that can also be arranged…"

She scooted closer and extended her arms as Jaina folded herself against her chest, sighing softly. Vereesa watched Jaina close her eyes and she shut her own, wrapping her arms tightly around Jaina, comfortably surrounded by her warmth. Her physical warmth certainly, but her emotional warmth, too. She was so grateful to have Jaina in her life, someone she loved without question and who loved her the same.

She let a quiet huff of a breath pass her lips, almost a sob, as she nuzzled Jaina’s hair and kissed her temple. She listened to the soft, even breaths of the woman sweetly curled up on her chest, clearly already having succumbed to sleep. She opened her eyes and smiled, watching Jaina nap through her watery gaze. Her tears—incredibly happy ones, full of love and relief—slipped down her cheeks and raced down her neck, drying on her collarbone.

She drew in an emotional, shaky breath and closed her eyes again, drifting off to the sounds of Jaina’s gentle breaths and thoughts of how beautiful her life was.

***

Later, Jaina was feeling rather pleasantly spent lying snuggled against Vereesa, her arms wrapped tightly around her. Vereesa was still intent on fully proving her case and Jaina was more than happy to let her. As such, the bright morning sun had grown into an even brighter midday sun and Jaina found herself with quite the appetite for lunch. “I’m _starving_ …” she announced, giving Vereesa a kiss on the shoulder.

Vereesa gently extracted herself from Jaina’s arms, flipping over and propping herself on an elbow, trailing her fingers over Jaina’s cheek. “I’m not surprised,” she teased with a deviously arched eyebrow, “I think we burned off all the calories from those pancakes…”

Jaina chuckled and caught Vereesa’s hand, kissing her knuckles and pressing her lips to the indents on her ring finger. “I think you’re right about that,” she murmured. “We need to refuel.”

Vereesa nodded and linked their fingers together. “I need to put in an appearance at work,” she said a bit sadly, “but we’ll make dinner together.”

“I need to do the same,” Jaina said. “I have to check in at least, then I can stuff my face with whatever’s in the kitchen.”

Vereesa grinned at her and they were quiet for a few moments, both gazing at their interlocked hands. “Will you sleep over tonight?”

“Do you want me to?”

“Always,” Vereesa said earnestly and Jaina pulled her into a kiss.

“Okay,” she whispered with a smile when they separated, “then I will.”

Vereesa moved on top, dropping soft kisses against Jaina’s collarbone. Jaina laughed softly and Vereesa looked up, both eyebrows raised.

“We both need to get to work,” Jaina reminded her, “at least for a little while.”

“True,” Vereesa agreed, pressing her lips to Jaina’s shoulder, “but it occurs to me I wasn’t _quite_ as assiduous as I wanted to be…”

“Good word. Now who’s the bookworm?” Jaina teased, feeling herself heat up as Vereesa answered her with bites that were as teasing as Jaina’s words. “You know, perhaps I do need a little more convincing…”

“I thought you might…”

***

It was mid-afternoon by the time Vereesa was satisfied with the case she had made about just how much she loved Jaina and had let Jaina do the same. Not that she needed the convincing, but she thoroughly enjoyed and encouraged it nonetheless. She held Jaina in her arms, relishing the glistening sweat all over her body, the flushed color of her skin, the shaky breaths and murmured words slipping from her lips. She held her tighter, feeling like Jaina must have during their bath when they had recovered from being sick, not wanting to let go.

She knew she must, however, at least for a short time, so she pressed a lingering kiss to Jaina’s shoulder and stood. She glanced towards the bathroom as she saw Jaina lazily turn over and look at her with eyes that sparkled with exhaustion and contentment. “I’d ask if I could take a bath here, but I think we may end up distracted…”

Jaina grinned. “I can confirm that’s exactly what would happen.”

Vereesa grinned back as she got dressed. “Cast me a portal, would you? I’ll bathe at home and then go to work.”

Jaina raised a hand and drew a circle with her index finger, conjuring a portal in front of Vereesa. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Vereesa blew her a kiss and Jaina caught it. She stepped through the portal with a wink. Jaina sat up and pointed towards the bathroom, starting the water for her own bath. She smiled, filled with such an intense and wonderful happiness that she felt a tear form in the corner of her eye. She let it fall onto her cheek as she stood and went to her wardrobe to select an outfit. She set her clothes down on a dresser and entered her bathroom—waving a hand to turn off the water—and stepped in, feeling relaxation and utter giddiness spread over her.

She washed up quickly—remembering just how hungry she was—then dressed in the sea foam green blouse and loose beige pants she had chosen and made her way down to the kitchen, forgoing teleporting and simply enjoying the pleasant walk instead, her thoughts light and free and beautifully content. She spied her mother at the counter when she walked in, and gave her a nod and a smile. She wondered if she imagined the slight redness that she saw on her mother’s cheeks.

“Did everything go well last night and today?” Jaina asked casually, her own cheeks warming as she gathered leftovers to fix herself a hearty venison sandwich with a side of potatoes. She snapped her fingers to light the range, then placed a pan on top, coating it with a bit of oil.

Katherine cleared her throat and replied, “Everything’s been taken care of and Tandred is currently seeing off the last of the traders.”

“That’s good,” Jaina said, smiling, “I’m glad to hear it.” She filled the pan with the leftovers to quickly warm everything up, then snagged a plate from a nearby cupboard. She sliced a loaf of bread and spread a light sauce over two slices, then used a finger to direct the reheated venison to the bread and the potatoes to her plate. She snapped her fingers to extinguish the flame, then waved a hand to send the pan to the sink, waving it again to lift a sponge to scrub it. Another quick flourish of her fingers set down the sponge, rinsed and dried the pan, and then put it away where she had found it. She leaned over the counter and hastily began to devour her sandwich, popping small bites of potatoes into her mouth as she did so. She looked up when her mother set down a glass of milk next to her and patted her back affectionately.

“How did your date go?” Katherine asked, sitting back down and sipping her tea. Jaina did not miss the genuinely curious, but slightly apprehensive, look in her eyes. She knew how much her mother supported her relationship and she found herself smiling as she scarfed down another bite of her sandwich, washing it down with a long drink of milk.

“I had a wonderful night,” she said finally, smiling openly as her mother smiled as well. Thoughtfully, she added, “A wonderful night and an even better morning.” She took another bite of a potato, continuing, “A wonderful night, an even better morning, and the _best_ afternoon.”

Katherine appeared to nearly choke on her tea and Jaina smothered her laugh with another bite of her sandwich, mumbling an apology with her mouth full.

“Well,” Katherine began, swallowing audibly, “I’m… pleased… to hear that…”

“Don’t worry,” Jaina assured her, “I won’t elaborate further. Now, or anytime in the future.”

Katherine chuckled and primly sipped her tea. “I appreciate that, sweetheart,” she said, “and I am very happy for you both. It warms my heart to see you so in love.”

Jaina finished her food and milk and walked over to her mother, wrapping her in a hug and giving her a peck on the cheek. “Thank you,” she murmured sincerely. “I’m going to go see Tandred.” She gave her mother another peck. “I love you.”

“Mhm,” Katherine hummed as Jaina drew back and waved her hands in another flourish, washing and putting away the last of her dishes.

She was about to teleport to the docks when she paused and chewed on her lip, glancing at her mother. “What do you know about... rings?” She lifted a pensive eyebrow, adding, “And... gemstones?”

Katherine looked up, her eyes so wide and bulging that Jaina thought she looked like a child’s toy being comically squeezed too tightly. She coughed and sputtered and wiped her chin with a napkin as one side of Jaina’s mouth turned up in a lopsided smile. “I beg your pardon, sweetheart? Rings? Gemstones? A-are you—“

Jaina shook her head, a soft chuckle bubbling up through her and slipping past her lips. “Not yet, but... maybe sooner than you might think.”

Katherine’s face went through a myriad of emotions and Jaina identified a few of them as a combination of shock, nervousness, excitement, and genuine happiness. Her eyes glimmered with tears and Jaina just gave her a brilliant smile before disappearing to the docks in a bright swirl of energy.

***

That evening, Jaina teleported to the Violet Citadel, landing in front of Vereesa’s door. She grinned as she raised her hand and knocked, hearing the boys’ excited voices and Vereesa’s soft laugh from inside as she attempted to settle them down. The door opened and Jaina’s breath caught at the sight of Vereesa in a lovely soft red blouse and light grey pants. Her long ears nearly matched her blouse in color and her hair was up in a casual ponytail. She looked excited and content and just the slightest bit tired.

“Come on in,” she said with a smile, stepping back to reveal the boys a few paces behind her, barely able to contain their own excitement.

Jaina smiled back and stepped inside as Vereesa shut the door. She kissed Vereesa’s cheek then turned to the boys, one eyebrow raised as she asked, “Did you two finish your homework?”

“It’s all done and in our room if you want to check it!” Galadin said.

“We’re ready to learn spells!” Giramar burst out. Galadin nodded his eager agreement.

Jaina turned to Vereesa and they shared beautiful smiles.

“So it begins,” Vereesa said with a wink.

“I’m going to have so much fun with this,” Jaina whispered and she felt as though the boys’ enthusiasm was contagious because she found herself just as keen to teach as they were to learn. She kissed Vereesa’s forehead and walked over to the boys, placing her hands on their shoulders as they led her to their room.

Vereesa watched as her sons and the woman she loved set off on—quite literally—a magical adventure, smiling as she realized she and Jaina were on a magical adventure of their own. It might not always be easy, and it would likely take twists and turns along the way, but it was theirs and she and Jaina knew the ultimate destination. For now, she was more than happy to enjoy the ride. It was something new, something different, something… good.

She chuckled and set off to join her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd done!
> 
> For now… 👀
> 
> While I was writing this, going through the ring discussion and the sort of proposal, I got some ideas for another chapter that could include ring shopping. If I decide to not let a lack of motivation get me down, I maaay add another chapter with that and a proposal (or multiple?!) and maybe a time skip and MAYBE a glimpse of the boys entering puberty and possibly being little shits?! They're a _tad_ too perfect rn. Writing some teen angst and parenting woes could be fun, I think. We'll see!
> 
> In any case, hopefully these two chapters were an enjoyable return to this 'ship! Felt nice to come back to these two and write (mostly) fluff. Thanks for clicking, as always.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhhhhhh hi again! 👀 So I had a shitload of ideas to continue this post-chapter 6 and I even wrote some of them down! Months ago, too. But I had so many ideas (still have a long bulleted list of things that I’ve not yet written) and when I started writing them out, I jumped around quite a bit, so I had (and still have) bits and pieces of future chapters that I’m reordering and adding things to so I can (hopefully!) present a cohesive story of this relationship and family unit.
> 
> So for now, here is an interlude chapter of sorts, wherein the girls have a soft and sexy and even a bit reflective beach date.
> 
> The next however many chapters (at leeeeeast two? Three? Idfk) are partially written and cover some topics that I’ve actually been itching to explore with the girls and the twins for some time now.
> 
> I need to figure out a possible split for the next chapter before I post it, because rn it is like 9k+ words and ya know, that is a bit long!! So uhhhh, I’ll mess with that and hopefully it won’t be another four months or w/e tf before I post more.
> 
> Enjoy this one for now, though. I’ve very much loved digging into Jaina and Vereesa’s heads in this fic so far and this chapter certainly has some more of that, plus a lot of sweet, sappy cheesiness because that is really just me in a nutshell.
> 
> I hope y’all have been doing all right during this lockdown, finding things that make you happy and keeping safe and all that jazz.
> 
> Thanks for clicking on my dumb nonsense. <333

“You know what the best thing is about the sea?” Vereesa asked as they walked.

She held Jaina’s hand securely in her own as they made their way along the shores of Tiragarde Sound. The boys were with Tandred, while Jaina and Vereesa were enjoying their rare day off that had taken them from a lazy morning of breakfast in bed, to a shopping trip and lunch in Dalaran, and now a casual stroll on the beach in their bare feet and new, summery dresses. Their free hands held their shoes (Jaina’s also held a picnic basket containing light sandwiches and other snacks), their arms swinging languidly as they walked. The sand was warm and damp, squishing between their toes in an oddly satisfying, almost comforting way. It was late afternoon and the sun was beginning to slowly turn in for the day, leaving the sky a mix of soft blue and a light reddish-orange. A surprisingly strong breeze whipped their hair and dresses (hers a muted red, Jaina’s a blue-green, almost perfectly matching the ocean) about, making the two of them look like the embodiment of roaring flames.

Vereesa loved it all.

She caught Jaina’s eye as they walked, finding a curious twinkle there, and she smiled when Jaina bumped her shoulder with hers.

“I can think of a few things,” Jaina said, her tone thoughtful, “but I imagine none of them are what you’re thinking.”

Vereesa’s smile widened and she pressed a kiss to Jaina’s cheek, watching the woman she loved flush deeply and duck her head, clearly trying to hide her own smile. “Unless you’re extremely selfish, and I already know you’re not, then you would be completely right.” She watched Jaina’s eyes go wide and then relax and soften as she spoke and she kissed her again, the flush deepening further.

“Don’t leave me in suspense,” Jaina teased, bumping her shoulder again, “what’s the best thing about the sea?”

Vereesa stopped and Jaina stopped, too. She let her shoes drop to the sand with a light thump and squish, then dropped Jaina’s hand as well, reaching up to cup her face. She kissed her forehead as she watched Jaina’s expression darken just slightly, her eyes stormy. She nuzzled her nose and smiled and Jaina’s look of worry seemed to fade. She felt like a lighthouse to Jaina’s ship caught in harsh weather.

“It makes me think of you.”

A lopsided grin took up residence on Jaina’s face. “Yeah? Rough waters and pounding waves and terrifying, unknown monsters deep under the surface?”

Vereesa quirked an eyebrow and returned the grin. “Uh huh.” Jaina laughed openly and Vereesa felt a pleasant shiver run through her at the sound. She was positive Jaina’s laugh was one of the most beautiful things she had ever heard or would ever hear. She squeezed Jaina’s cheeks and stole a kiss. “I find the sea calming and beautiful,” she murmured, as Jaina’s laughter also calmed. “It can be unpredictable and it can be home to secrets, but it’s also relaxing and vast and endless. Timeless, really. It’ll always be there.” She felt tears form in the corners of her eyes, inhaling sharply at the way Jaina’s lips parted slightly and her eyes glimmered with tears of her own. “The sounds and the scent and the way the waves lap at the shore, drawing you in and encompassing you, promising even more beauty if you dare to explore.” A tear escaped her at the same time one escaped from Jaina, the drops perfectly in sync, racing down their cheeks. “I want to keep exploring, Jaina, because I know that I’m always going to find something new, something even more rewarding.”

Jaina felt herself overcome with emotion and she took a deep breath, letting it out in a chuckle that made Vereesa tilt her head, but made Jaina feel light and happy. “I was just going to say that it looks pretty and is an efficient form of travel for goods and for any person not magically inclined.”

Vereesa put her hands on her hips, tilting her head even more, and Jaina grinned further. “That’s what’s best about the sea for you?” she asked, her tone sounding alternately teasing and incredulous to Jaina’s ears. “ _Travel_?”

“Yes…?” Jaina replied, biting her lip and lifting her shoulders in a shrug. She melted when Vereesa pulled her into a kiss, slipping soft hands into her wild, flowing hair.

“You are something else…” Vereesa breathed when she pulled back, booping Jaina’s nose.

Jaina was certain her face had to at least match the color of Vereesa’s dress, if not entirely surpass it. “I’m very practical,” she insisted with a quirked eyebrow and a smirk. She pouted when Vereesa covered her mouth with both of her hands, trying to hide her laughter.

“ _You’re_ practical? The one who encouraged chocolate chip pancakes?” Vereesa fixed her with a teasingly skeptical look and Jaina doubled down.

“Those pancakes have been improved upon every week, I’ll have you know. They are actually healthy now, while still being deliciously chocolatey.” She smiled when Vereesa did. “I’d say it’s quite the practical breakfast.”

“All right,” Vereesa said, and Jaina gave her a kiss, “I suppose that is true. I’d say we’re both practical, but I also think we’re both idealistic at times.”

“I’d say that’s a good thing,” Jaina mused. “I don’t always want to be realistic. I want to dream sometimes, too.”

Vereesa nodded. “Luckily for us, we’ve also managed to make our dreams come true.”

Jaina set down her shoes and the picnic basket, finally freeing her hands. She opened a portal and put her hand through it, closing her eyes and concentrating, pulling her hand back from their home in Dalaran, now holding a long blanket and two cloaks. She laid the blanket out on the sand and wrapped Vereesa’s cloak around her shoulders, then her own around hers. “Speaking of practical…”

Vereesa snorted. “You were just talking about the sea being used for travel to anyone not gifted with magic. I’d hardly say this was ‘practical.’”

“It’s practical magic,” Jaina said as she sat down and pulled the picnic basket in front of her. She waved a hand to dismiss her portal as Vereesa sat down with her and stole the basket just as she was about to dig in. She pouted as Vereesa smirked.

“And yet magic, practical or otherwise, couldn’t stop me from taking the basket.” She picked it up and waved it around like she had just won a trophy, then set it down and lifted the lid, pulling out a wrapped plate and handing it to Jaina.

“Orrr I could just be letting you win…” Jaina said as she unwrapped the plate and took a rather massive bite of a boar sandwich. She twirled her hand to summon a bottle of wine tucked away in the basket. She moved her index finger in a quick slicing motion and the cork popped off, caught by Vereesa before it could disappear into the stratosphere. “Nice catch.”

“Thank you,” Vereesa said, casually tossing it in the air and catching it again. “Now… what’s this about letting me win?” She swiftly drew a small, nearly hidden dagger on her hip and used it to skewer Jaina’s sandwich and pull it away from her. Jaina’s mouth dropped open in shock and Vereesa smirked again, taking a victorious bite.

Jaina’s shoulders slumped for only a moment before a wicked idea took hold and she stood, drinking from the bottle and then handing it to Vereesa. She reached behind her back to unzip her dress, forcing her expression to stay neutral as Vereesa’s eyes widened and she swallowed audibly. “Now… what were you saying before about the sea—and thus, _me_ —being ‘vast’ and ‘endless’?” Vereesa gulped again. “Is this your way of telling me I’m fat?” She fixed Vereesa with a questioning look and a raised eyebrow, letting her dress fall to the blanket at her feet and casually resting her hands on her hips.

Vereesa involuntarily licked her lips and stuffed her mouth with another bite of Jaina’s sandwich as she let her gaze appreciatively roam soft curves and milky skin. She swallowed her food and set the sandwich back down on the plate, standing the bottle up next to it. She got to her feet and walked over to Jaina, taking her hands in hers and kissing each knuckle. She let one hand drift to Jaina’s hair, threading her fingers through it as Jaina closed her eyes. She leaned close, watching the shiver that ran through Jaina as she whispered in her ear, “You’re perfect, Jaina. You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever met, inside and out.”

“Good answer,” Jaina breathed, chuckling and slipping her arms around Vereesa’s neck, pressing against her.

They kissed, softly at first, then Vereesa pulled Jaina closer when she felt her melt in her arms.

“But in terms of being ‘vast’ and ‘endless,’” Vereesa began thoughtfully, leaning back to press gentle kisses to Jaina’s cheeks and forehead, “I’d say your curves certainly qualify…” She slid her hands up and down Jaina’s sides, gliding over full hips as Jaina leaned forward and chased after her lips. She leaned forward too, giving her a gentle nibble and an even more gentle kiss, sighing when Jaina shivered and drew in a shaky breath. “There’s also your love for me, for the boys, for our families in general. Your kindness is endless, too.”

“I feel like you’ve helped in that regard,” Jaina whispered. “I think I’m a kinder, more loving person with you in my life. The boys, as well.”

Vereesa kissed her again, then sat back down on the blanket, reaching for Jaina’s hand. Jaina joined her, draping her legs over Vereesa’s thighs and snuggling close, picking up the sandwich and holding it up so they could both eat it. Vereesa chuckled and took a bite as Jaina did. They ate in a companionable silence until the sandwich was gone, then Jaina pressed warm lips to Vereesa’s neck, quiet hums of pleasure escaping them both.

Vereesa slipped one hand into Jaina’s hair, her fingers twirling lively windswept strands, while her other hand glided absently over Jaina’s legs, stroking her from thigh to ankle and back up again as Jaina continued to kiss her neck. Vereesa closed her eyes, feeling pleasantly relaxed and surprisingly sleepy, realizing their long day and longer walk on the beach had tuckered her out more than she had thought. She found she could certainly go for a nap in the still-warm sun before it eventually disappeared.

Jaina paused her kisses, finding Vereesa with her eyes closed and her breaths soft and even. She looked like she had fallen asleep sitting up. Jaina just smiled and shook her head, pressing a soft kiss to Vereesa’s temple, her smile deepening at Vereesa’s gentle humming response.

“Tired already?” she teased. “I haven’t even gotten started...”

Vereesa chuckled and absently pinched Jaina’s thigh. “I don’t have to be tired,” she murmured through a yawn, “you can have your way with me.”

Jaina grinned and kissed her nose. “No, I think a little nap sounds nice.” At Vereesa’s gentle whine of protest, Jaina kissed her deeply, then pulled back and husked against her lips, “Sleep now, and I’ll wake you up later just the way you like...”

Vereesa’s eyes popped open at that and she was met with Jaina’s delightfully sinful smirk. “Fair enough,” she managed, and they kissed again, soft and slow, until Jaina drew back and sweetly kissed her forehead.

Carefully, Jaina slipped her legs out of Vereesa’s lap and they settled down on the blanket, Jaina curling up next to Vereesa, tucking against her side, head on her shoulder. Jaina reached out and concentrated, summoning another portal through which she reached to pull forth another blanket that she draped over the both of them. For a while, Jaina watched the waves roll in as she listened to the rhythmic sound of Vereesa’s breathing, as the woman she loved finally fell asleep, finding peace and comfort in both.

***

Jaina awoke later, sitting up and stretching, her eyes taking in the sun finally beginning to set and the gentle tide lapping at the shore. She turned back to the still-slumbering Vereesa, carefully guiding her hand through the air, using magic to unzip and pull away Vereesa’s dress, leaving her in lingerie of soft lace a slightly lighter shade than her dress.

Jaina climbed atop her, straddling her thighs, leaning down to unhook the front enclosure of her bra. She opened it up, an amused smile quirking her lips at the way Vereesa’s nipples almost immediately puckered in the chilly air, goosebumps rising all over soft skin, her amusement growing when not even her tongue over a rosy nipple woke Vereesa up.

Jaina lifted an eyebrow and closed her mouth over it, finally drawing out the reaction she had been seeking.

“Mmm... evening,” Vereesa murmured sleepily, sliding a hand into Jaina’s windswept hair.

“Evening,” Jaina mumbled back lazily, closing her eyes and continuing to lavish the breast in her mouth.

Vereesa hummed softly, her fingers playing with Jaina’s hair. She began to feel tingly and warm all over, closing her eyes and surrendering to the woman on top of her, the woman who knew exactly what she liked and delighted in making her happy and satisfied.

Waking up this way had become a ritual on their days off or days where they were mercifully afforded a work schedule that began later in the day, letting them have a lazy morning to themselves. The boys were always off to school early, letting them sleep in and rise whenever they felt like doing so.

Jaina had rather stubbornly insisted on having Vereesa first, and Vereesa only protested in the beginning, the two of them waking earlier and earlier in order to to be the first to satisfy the other. It was not long before it became clear that Jaina would always be the victor in their wake-up ritual, and Vereesa would be lying if she said she did not thoroughly enjoy losing to Jaina in this way.

Vereesa let slip a moan when Jaina cupped her other breast with a warm hand, her mouth still working the first, soft and tender and thoroughly languid, just how she liked it. After a few more minutes, Jaina released her hold on both, her fingers pinching one nipple while her teeth nibbled the other as she drew back, her gaze heavily lidded as she looked up at Vereesa.

“Hi,” she whispered, moving forward to lay a kiss on Vereesa’s jaw before pulling back and closing her mouth around the opposite breast while her hand settled in on the other.

“Hi,” Vereesa whispered back with a lazy grin and a quirked eyebrow. “You know, every time we do this, you offer to just play with my breasts forever...”

Jaina gave the nipple in her mouth a rather pointed bite then pulled away and looked up, pouting. “And you never let me get more than a half-hour before you just want to—“

“I know,” Vereesa cut her off, rolling her eyes at Jaina’s smug look. She twirled her fingers in Jaina’s hair, relishing the sweet, relaxed expression she drew from her. “Admit it, though, you just like playing with my breasts.”

Jaina chuckled. “Yes, I do,” she said, and she kissed one for emphasis. “And you just like having them played with.”

“Damn right I do,” Vereesa sighed out, arching her back and giving Jaina a better angle. Jaina was appreciative, taking full advantage, until Vereesa slowly settled back down, still stroking her hair. “Go for it,” she said, as Jaina looked up in surprise, “see how long you can last.” As she said the words, Jaina scoffed and shook her head.

“Please. I’ll be amazed if you can make it until the _sun_ goes down before you’re begging me to g—“

Vereesa pressed a finger to her lips and Jaina frowned. “Less talking, more playing.”

Jaina took a stiff nipple between her teeth, biting it and making Vereesa squeal in absolute delight. She smirked and went back to work.

***

Night had officially fallen, the sun disappearing entirely, by the time Vereesa had grown so sensitive she had to gently request that Jaina focus her efforts elsewhere, something Jaina was more than happy to do. It did not take much, Vereesa knew it would not, and she welcomed Jaina parting her legs and making her shiver and cry out, mouth and fingers working in tandem to give her the release she needed.

Her hand never left Jaina’s hair, her fingers twisting and tugging at it at first, then soothingly stroking it as she trembled and panted and settled back into reality.

Jaina breathed in deep, sitting up on shaky knees, moving to straddle Vereesa’s lap. She gave her a tired smile, sighing contentedly into her mouth when Vereesa pulled her close and kissed her. She leaned her forehead against Vereesa’s, letting herself be slowly undressed and softly touched all over. She melted into it, humming her approval and closing her eyes when Vereesa began kissing her neck, hands alternately roaming her curves and holding her close, as if Vereesa never wanted to let her go.

Jaina was more than fine with that.

She shivered when a hand slowly slipped between her legs, caressing her inner thighs at first, then eventually brushing her open, fingertips stroking her so gently that she rolled her hips forward until Vereesa was inside of her, with one, then two, and finally three fingers. She let Vereesa set the pace to start, soft and slow for a while, until she needed more and she was grinding her hips against Vereesa’s hand and Vereesa sped up, matching her movements.

Her breath came in short gasps and she leaned close to Vereesa’s ear, whispering encouragement and soft pleas, her pulse pounding loudly in her own ears. A weak cry escaped her when she was nearly there and suddenly Vereesa stopped moving her hand.

Jaina responded with eager hips thrusting against Vereesa’s fingers, confused and wanting, as Vereesa whispered, a smirk twisting her lips, “Forgive me, I got caught up in the moment, but I wanted to ask... would you rather my mouth over my hand?”

Almost as soon as Vereesa had stopped, before Jaina could even fully register what was happening, her fingers were moving again and in her delirium, Jaina could only mumble Vereesa’s name in a desperate but patient plea as she tumbled over the edge, dropping her forehead to Vereesa’s shoulder, exhausted.

“You’re evil...” Jaina panted, her hips still moving with Vereesa’s fingers as they both slowed their pace.

“Whatever do you mean?” Vereesa asked innocently, lifting Jaina’s head and laying a gentle kiss on her parted lips. “I think I was more than generous... even offered you an alternative option...”

Jaina sighed and slipped her arms around Vereesa’s neck, bringing her close and mumbling, “It’s a good thing I love you.”

Vereesa kept her hand where it was as they kissed, responding to the movements of Jaina’s hips as they continued rocking against her, now more insistent. Jaina pressed her down on the blanket, then rolled them over, pulling Vereesa atop her, the two of them chuckling lightly at the tangled mess their limbs had made.

Jaina stole a kiss, then bucked her hips against the hand still between her legs. Against Vereesa’s lips, she husked, “Would you object if I said I wanted both?”

“Never,” Vereesa whispered back as she tugged Jaina’s lower lip between her teeth, giving it a soft bite, shivering when Jaina shivered, too.

“Good,” Jaina said as Vereesa slid down, kissing everywhere she could reach as she went, finally arriving between trembling thighs, “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

Vereesa grinned, slipping an arm around one of Jaina’s legs in an attempt to hold her in place.

“Still though, you’re such a tease,” she sighed out, running her fingers through Vereesa’s hair.

Vereesa just chuckled as she nipped at Jaina’s inner thigh, drawing forth a quiet moan and a shiver. “You love it,” she husked.

Jaina sighed again, biting her lip to suppress her whimper when Vereesa mercifully licked her open. “I do,” she whispered, a breathless huff of a laugh on her lips, “and I love that you know how to take care of me.”

Vereesa looked up, pressing a kiss against her. “I do love taking care of you.” As if to emphasize her point, she swirled her tongue in a lazy circle that made Jaina grip her hair and buck her hips.

Shakily, Jaina murmured, “I definitely love being taken care of.”

Vereesa paused and lifted herself onto her elbows, trying not to smile at Jaina’s delicious whine of disappointment at the loss of contact. Seriously, she said, “You know how to take care of me, too.”

Jaina smiled then, languidly twirling a long lock of Vereesa’s hair between her fingers. “I try.”

Vereesa pulled herself to her knees, leaning forward to brush her lips against Jaina’s in a soft kiss, peering deeply into her eyes. “You do more than try, you succeed.”

Jaina caressed a warm cheek, pressing her forehead to Vereesa’s, a wave of emotion passing over her. “It’s hard for me sometimes,” she began, her voice wavering, “I feel like I’ve messed up so many things in my life.” She paused to take a steadying breath as Vereesa kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, and settled next to her, pulling her close, their legs entwining.

“Hey,” Vereesa said firmly, “I’ve done things I’m not proud of, but I’ve been working to atone for them. We can’t change the past, all we can do is move forward and try to be better.”

Jaina nodded and pulled Vereesa closer, kissing her temple and thoroughly considering her words.

“All we can do is try to improve, try to be the best versions of ourselves. It’s hard, yes, it’s supposed to be. Not everyone’s cut out for being able to look inward and identify what they can change. Some people never do that, but we’re strong, Jaina. We’ve kept what’s good about ourselves, we’ve worked to change the less good aspects, and we’re continuing to change, continuing to improve.”

Jaina’s mood brightened further and she pulled Vereesa into a long, just slightly rough and eager kiss, the two of them flushed and panting softly when they separated.

“Look at the boys,” Vereesa murmured, “look at _us_.” She grinned, arching an eyebrow and stealing a kiss. “I’d say we’re doing a pretty damn good job so far.”

Jaina grinned back, stealing a kiss as well. “I think you’re right.”

“Of course I am.”

Jaina kissed her again, chuckling at Vereesa’s rather adorably smug expression, her eyes shining. “I love you,” she said, “and I love the boys.” She sighed gently as Vereesa nodded. “Sometimes, I just need reassurance. I just need to hear that I’m doing all right, because I don’t always believe that I am.”

“You are. Never question that.”

Jaina nodded, too, feeling comforted for the time being. She wished for a day when she would no longer need the reassurance, but she imagined it would be far off. It was all right, she thought. Knowing Vereesa believed in her, knowing the boys did as well, having the love and support of her entire family, it all helped.

She would be fine. She could continue to do this, to live a good life, to improve, to be her best self. She closed her eyes, a wave of contentment and relief washing over her.

Vereesa shifted after a short while, moving down once more, settling back between shaky legs and picking up where she had left off. It was not long before she had Jaina almost singing her name, lost in pure ecstasy a second time, her entire body trembling. Vereesa drew back, crawling up to lay on top of her. Jaina pulled her close, kissing her with reckless abandon. She let slip a breathless laugh against Vereesa’s lips, a laugh that had Vereesa raising a decidedly curious and amused eyebrow in her direction.

“I want to swim,” Jaina said suddenly, “and then I want to catch a fish and light a fire and eat dinner and drink wine with you until we’re both tipsy and falling asleep.”

Vereesa smiled and kissed her, then carefully pulled away and stood, reaching out a hand to help her to her feet. “That sounds amazing.” She kissed her again and a playful, mischievous idea came over her. “Race ya.”

She took off at a near-sprint, laughing as Jaina cursed behind her. Her eyes bulged when Jaina blinked past her and splashed into the ocean before she had even dipped her toes in the water.

“Cheater!” she called, but she was laughing and so was Jaina and she felt light and free watching the woman she loved happily swim around and beckon her over. It was little moments like these that made Vereesa stop and think and truly consider how lucky she was. She knew Jaina had similar feelings and thoughts, had times where she needed to reflect on how fortunate she was to have a family who loved her dearly.

There were people she had known over the years—and many more she would never meet—who had never or might never know the sheer joy and security she felt, having so many people close to her who loved her and vice versa. It was difficult to believe sometimes, like she was not deserving, and she knew Jaina struggled with that feeling as well.

But they were good people—intent on being better, as she had told Jaina—she knew that, too. They were good people who had the best interests of others at heart, good people who made mistakes and worked to correct them and be better. They deserved the life they had forged together, they deserved happiness.

“Tides, Windrunner!” Jaina called, slapping her hands on the water. “Get in here, already!”

Vereesa snapped back to reality, giving Jaina a sheepish wave as she gingerly stepped into the water, expecting to be blasted by a strong chill, only to find that it was unnaturally warm. “This your doing, Proudmoore?” she asked with a laugh, sinking comfortably into the water until it lapped at her neck.

“You like?” Jaina looked quite pleased with herself as she swam over and wrapped Vereesa in an embrace.

“I do. How long will it last?”

“A few more minutes,” Jaina said with a shrug, “give or take.”

Vereesa held her close, kissing her temple. “A few minutes sounds perfect. And then we can eat.”

Jaina melted at Vereesa’s kiss, at her soft touch. “I love you,” she whispered, feeling just a bit overcome.

“I love you, too, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Jaina grinned, her face growing warm. She tilted her head. “Aren’t we already doing that?”

“We are,” Vereesa said, “but I guess I mean in a more... official capacity.”

Jaina nodded thoughtfully, one eyebrow raised. “Hm, well, I suppose we should get on that, then...”

Vereesa chuckled and shook her head at Jaina’s sly expression. “Yeah... yeah, I guess we should, huh?”

“Someday,” Jaina said, her tone serious, “someday soon.”

“Yeah?” Vereesa could not keep the hopeful and quite frankly, rather excited lilt out of her voice, but she felt warm all over—and not from the heated ocean—when Jaina simply nodded and kissed her forehead, one thumb grazing her cheekbone.

They kissed once more, holding each other tight, a feeling of lightness overtaking both of them.

“I can’t wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOMEDAY. Dnddjsjsjdj


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I found a split point for this roughly 9600-word behemoth of a chapter. This one and the next chronicle a full day from morning to evening for the girls, so even with its length, I was hesitant to split it and break the flow, but I think this spot works.
> 
> If you’re anything like me, you might actually need a brief emotional respite between these two chapters anyway... orrrrr I’m just an overly emotional sappy bitch. Eh, who knows. Enjoy this one and I hope to have the next one up soon.

Jaina awoke one morning full of vigor, ready to make a huge decision. She sat up, kissing Vereesa’s shoulder as she did so, careful not to wake her. It was a rare day off for them and on those days, Jaina usually woke Vereesa with a roving tongue and soft lips and warm hands. She let slip a wistful sigh. As much as she would have loved to slowly undress Vereesa and lavish her body with her undivided attention, she had a busy day ahead.

She stood from the bed, carefully tiptoeing to the wardrobe to dress. She was planning on going ring shopping and had already lined up visits with Alleria and Tandred, her mother, and Giramar and Galadin. Only Alleria and Tandred knew the reason for the visit ahead of time, however, as she wanted to limit the possibility of having her plan revealed.

She wanted plenty of options before she made her decision, determined to find the ring that would best suit the woman she loved. She selected a sea foam green blouse she was fond of along with flowy beige pants and began to dress, feeling herself overflowing with excitement and confidence, the feelings only slightly tinged by nervousness.

“And where do you think you’re going at this hour?”

Vereesa’s lazy, teasing voice filled Jaina’s ears as she was pulling on a pant leg and she awkwardly hopped and turned, finding her with a beautifully bright smile.

“Uh, for a run…” Jaina lied, pulling up her pants and fastening them.

“Oh yeah?” Vereesa asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “In that ensemble?”

Jaina stood up straight, crossing her own arms and pouting. “I can run in this.”

Vereesa cocked a long, unruly eyebrow and Jaina could not help but be amused at the sight. “Uh huh…”

Jaina leaned forward and raised her eyebrow, too. “You want to watch?”

Vereesa licked her lips and Jaina felt her face grow warm. “Oh, I am _absolutely_ down to watch…”

“Head out of the gutter, please,” Jaina muttered, though her smirk gave away her amusement and her widened eyes gave away her interest. She bit her lip, willing the new, delicious thought to fade. For now. “At least until later…”

It was Vereesa’s turn to pout and Jaina slipped on her blouse, unbuttoned, and walked over, bending to kiss her. Vereesa grabbed her collar with both hands to pull her closer until she tumbled atop her, laughing and pushing her hair out of her eyes.

“I’m going to be late!” Jaina lightly protested between kisses. She almost bit her tongue at the realization of what she had said.

Vereesa pulled back, tucking some of Jaina’s hair behind her ear. She shot her a look, cocking an obnoxiously long eyebrow. “‘Late’?” she asked. “For a run?” She gave Jaina a teasing smirk.

“I-I mean… I need to go running and get that done with so I won’t be late for the rest of my day,” Jaina said awkwardly, gulping and leaning down to try and mask her nervousness with kisses. Vereesa pulled out of reach.

“Just what are you up to today, Proudmoore?”

Jaina licked her lips and leaned down once more, reaching to grasp Vereesa’s wrists and pin them to the bed. Vereesa gasped (in surprise? excitement?) and Jaina took advantage of her momentary lapse, capturing her lips in a deep, messy, lingering kiss that left both of them breathless.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Jaina husked against her lips.

“I like the sound of that,” Vereesa managed and Jaina smiled smugly at the small victory.

She released Vereesa’s wrists and found herself pulled down into a flurry of kisses and soft touches and she allowed it. Encouraged it, even. She was a mage, after all. Getting to places exactly when she needed to be there was far, far easier for her than most. They kissed until she reluctantly managed to extricate herself from Vereesa’s grasp, laughing again as she stood and ran a hand through her wild hair. Vereesa stood too, tugging her close and doing up each button on her blouse, giving her a kiss for each successful button-up.

Jaina pressed a kiss of her own to Vereesa’s forehead, then walked over to the mirror above the bureau, picking up her brush and pulling it through her hair. She smiled at Vereesa as the woman she loved stepped behind her, wrapping comforting arms around her waist and leaning against her shoulder with what Jaina could only describe as a sigh of pure content. She closed her eyes when Vereesa did, running her fingers over Vereesa’s left hand. The indents and marks that had been present more than a year prior from her wedding ring were long gone, as Vereesa had not worn it again after their conversation, after Jaina had announced her intent to propose.

They had spent the time since that conversation settling further into their relationship. Jaina had moved in, had moved all the important things to Dalaran. Anything else she needed was simply a teleport away, as was her family. _Their_ family, she told herself. Her mother and both of her brothers had welcomed Vereesa and the boys with open arms into their family and Vereesa, the boys, and Alleria had accepted Jaina and her mother and brothers into theirs. Jaina loved being part of such a big, cohesive, thoroughly loving unit. She knew she and Vereesa were far luckier than most and she did not take any of it for granted.

There was just one small thing, one small little detail that ate at her, and she was not certain how to address it. She loved her new family, but the boys… _the_ boys…

She knew they were part of her family and she theirs, but she wondered if she was allowed to feel that they were also hers as well as Vereesa’s and Rhonin’s. She had not birthed them, she had not raised them in their early years. She had been and was continuing to be a positive and significant influence on them, but would they ever be _her_ boys, too? Hers and Vereesa’s? Or was she destined to just be an outsider of sorts, a stepmother to them, and only ever a stepmother?

Maybe it was silly, maybe she was overthinking it, maybe the distinction did not matter. She still found herself wondering all the same.

“Hey,” Vereesa whispered against her shoulder when she took an involuntary shuddering breath, “you all right?”

Jaina smiled against the sudden tears she could feel forming in the corners of her eyes. She nodded, unable to stifle her sniffle, prompting a worried look from Vereesa. “I’m great.” It was true, but there was still a lie in it, just a small thing, a small little detail that ate at her. “I am,” she reiterated, as Vereesa kissed her shoulder.

“What are you thinking about?”

Jaina swallowed against the emotion rising in her throat and she whispered, “The boys.”

“What about our boys?”

Vereesa asked the question with a smile and Jaina met her gaze in the mirror, filled with hope and trepidation in equal part. Had she heard correctly? Another shaky breath passed her lips and she asked quietly, “W-what?”

Vereesa’s smile deepened and she pressed another kiss against Jaina’s shoulder. “I said, ‘what about our boys?’”

Jaina looked down, her hands still running over Vereesa’s fingers and she choked back a sob. Vereesa squeezed her tighter and Jaina could hear her soft whispers, asking her what was wrong and trying to reassure her everything was all right. She looked back up, tears beginning to stream down her face. “‘Our’?” she asked, barely audible.

Vereesa turned her around so that they were facing each other, slipping her hands around Jaina’s neck and leaning against her. “Yes, Jaina,” she said, her tone sounding alternately sincere and silly to Jaina’s ears, “yes, ‘our boys.’”

Jaina pulled her into a strong embrace, crying softly on her shoulder. Vereesa pulled back after a while, peppering her cheeks and forehead with soft kisses that Jaina melted into, feeling the obvious love Vereesa had for her.

“We share everything, Jaina, we’re a family.” Vereesa leaned her forehead against Jaina’s, feeling as emotional as she knew Jaina was. Jaina was their mother now as well, no longer an aunt figure, and not a stepmother either. She was not fond of the word “stepmother.” To her, it almost seemed to represent a temporary arrangement, even if it was just a word, a word that was technically correct. No, their families were joined, forever, and she and Jaina were the loving, proud mothers of two beautiful boys. She felt Jaina relax, swearing she could actually see the weight lifting from Jaina’s shoulders. She smiled and kissed her, an emotional, lingering kiss that she felt reverberate throughout her body and Jaina’s, feeling the woman she loved shiver against her.

She had been thinking it for a while, thinking about Jaina’s evolving relationship with the boys. It had changed almost overnight, the morning they had chocolate chips mixed with just a bit of pancakes for breakfast, the morning the boys had displayed their limited but growing magical affinity, the morning she and Jaina had had an honest and open discussion about Rhonin and their relationship and the possibility (eventuality, really) of marriage, the morning the commitment she and Jaina had made to each other became even more real and deep than it had been.

From there, it had continued to evolve, to grow and change, to deepen into such a relationship where Jaina had moved into a clear parental position. Vereesa considered Jaina to be the boys’ mother now as well, just as much as she was. They were equal partners and the boys, _their_ boys, had been lucky enough to experience the love of three parents over the course of their young lives, not to mention multiple relatives. Their boys were so lucky, so loved, so cared for and cherished. Their boys would have the best lives, they were already making sure of it.

“So… was that it?” Vereesa asked gently, smoothing her thumb over Jaina’s cheekbone, smiling at the reddening warmth of Jaina’s face. “We’re in this together, Jaina. Being a parent is… kind of a lifetime commitment.” Her smile widened and her own face warmed at Jaina’s head tilt and frown.

“You are not helpful,” Jaina pouted, her frown melting away, replaced by a smirk. She leaned against Vereesa’s palm, sighing softly. “I know we are, and I know what all of this means, I guess I was just unsure how I technically fit in, what my official label is.”

Vereesa raised an eyebrow and tilted her head at Jaina. “‘Label’?”

“Yeah,” Jaina said, feeling sheepish. “I’m your partner, I’ll eventually be your wife, and I was, at one point, an aunt of sorts to the— _our_ —boys, and now I’m…” She sighed once more, glancing down briefly before looking back up to meet Vereesa’s gaze. “I figured I’d be… their stepmother at best, you know?” Her voice grew quieter and quieter and Vereesa pulled her close, pressing soft kisses to her forehead, cheeks, and mouth. “They had Rhonin and they have you, and I told you before that I would never presume to take the place of either of you, so I just…” She shook her head. “I guess I just felt like maybe I wouldn’t be considered a full parent, if that makes sense.”

Vereesa nodded. She understood. Jaina had talked before about not wanting to overstep, but Vereesa felt there was not much Jaina could do that would be considered overstepping. They were partners and they would share the parenting joys and heartaches and responsibilities. They were equal. She was not somehow more of a parent, nor was Jaina less of one in comparison with Rhonin. They were just... parents. Mothers. No modifiers, no other labels. “I get it,” she said, “but there’s no need to think that way. It isn’t a competition, we aren’t fighting each other for any sort of parenting prize, and you’re definitely not fighting Rhonin for anything of the sort. We’re just mothers, Jaina. Mothers to two boys who are smart and clever and caring and kind and we are so lucky to be in their lives.”

Jaina nodded, too. She breathed deeply and let it out slowly, a smile spreading over her features. “Hearing that makes me incredibly happy,” she whispered. “Tides…” She felt relief build in her chest and it manifested itself in a breathless chuckle. “I love you.”

“And I love you.”

Their lips met in a soft kiss, Jaina’s arms going around Vereesa and slipping into sleep-mussed silver hair. Jaina found herself forgetting about her plans, about the very important appointments she had made, and then suddenly remembering everything as she pulled back, embarrassed laughter on her lips. “I do really need to get going…”

“What could be so important that you can’t spend your day off with me?”

Vereesa pouted at her so adorably that Jaina nearly considered canceling everything and sweeping Vereesa off her feet and taking her right back to bed.

Instead she said again, “You’ll find out soon enough,” as Vereesa pawed at her blouse. “That’s all I can say and I’ve probably already said too much…”

Vereesa smiled and turned her around, picking up the brush she had been using and lightly pulling it through thick, white hair. Jaina closed her eyes in response, melting into the sensation, loving how comforting it felt. She let Vereesa brush her hair for a little while longer, then gently stopped her, turning back around and giving her a long, lingering kiss.

“Okay,” she said, “now I _really_ have to go.”

Vereesa just nodded and smoothed out a few tiny wrinkles in Jaina’s blouse, then kissed her jaw and wandered back over to bed. Jaina turned to watch her curl up under the covers and close her eyes, a warm smile on her face. “Have fun.”

“I will.” Under her breath, she mumbled, “I hope…”

“Hm?” Vereesa already sounded like she was drifting off.

“Nothing!” Jaina said brightly. “I’ll see you later!”

“Mhm…”

Jaina gave herself one last look in the mirror before conjuring herself a mana cake and teleporting to the jewelry store in Dalaran. She had time and she certainly could have walked over, given that it was about a hop, skip, and a jump from home, but where was the fun in that? Especially when she could land right in front of her future sister-in-law and give her a rather humorous fright.

“ _Shit_!” Alleria hissed when Jaina appeared. She stepped back, muttering obvious curses under her breath in Thalassian, her hand over her undoubtedly pounding heart.

Jaina could not suppress her goofy, impish grin at the sight, but she managed to hide it slightly when she took a bite of cake. Spending time with the boys and teaching them new spells had sparked a rather mischievous fire inside her, one that was fueled by helping them learn spells that lended themselves well to pranking. Teleporting in front of people was one, as was emerging from an invisibility spell or casting mirror images and doing the same. Polymorphing and freezing people also produced humorous results. Jaina felt young again, felt like a new student just getting a handle on her abilities and she loved it. She reined in the boys (and herself…) when necessary, but for the most part, it was harmless fun and Jaina thoroughly enjoyed engaging in such antics.

“Morning!”

Alleria folded her arms over her chest, blowing out a sigh through her nose. Jaina bit the inside of her cheek to at least suppress the laugh that wanted to spill forth at Alleria’s exasperation. She waved her hand, conjuring another cake, and handed it to Alleria as a peace offering. Alleria accepted it with clear hesitation.

“I imagine it would be bad form to _murder_ my future sister-in-law as she’s about to buy an engagement ring…” Alleria huffed, and Jaina thought she saw the slightest bit of a smile turn up the eldest Windrunner’s mouth. Alleria tossed her long hair over her shoulder and bit into her cake. She was dressed down in charcoal leggings and a simple emerald blouse with short sleeves that showcased toned arms that reminded Jaina of Vereesa. 

“Probably,” Jaina said easily, letting her grin widen a bit further. Alleria definitely smirked just a tad in response. “The boys have me feeling like a kid again,” she said wistfully. “It’s nice not feeling old sometimes.”

Alleria scoffed loudly and Jaina’s grin grew so wide she thought her face may split. “‘Old’? ‘ _Old_ ’?! Proudmoore, I—“ She cut herself off abruptly, running a slightly shaky hand through her hair.

Jaina patted her arm affectionately. “Don’t worry, Alleria,” she cooed, “you don’t look a day over ten thousand.” She headed into the jewelry store with Alleria at her heel.

“You know what? I’ll let you have this,” Alleria said, leaning close and bumping Jaina’s shoulder with hers. “After all, I’m several millennia older than you’ll ever be and I look better than you ever will.” She tossed her brightly shining hair over her shoulder again, the sunlight perfectly capturing its golden light, as if she were going to be featured on the cover of a tawdry romance novel or a glossy gossip rag.

Jaina sputtered, laughing so hard she had to cover her mouth, but was still given looks by a few customers. “I hate how true that is,” she chuckled, as Alleria actually gave her a grin. “Such is life as a lowly mortal human…”

“Elves are still mortal,” Alleria countered, “we’re just better at hiding it.” She quirked an eyebrow that Jaina swore was even longer than Vereesa’s were.

“Very true.” She sighed softly. “I’d say that someday I’ll be old and gray—or white—but I suppose I’m already halfway there.” She ran a hand through her snow-white hair, huffing a breath that blew about her few remaining locks of gold.

“At least you finally admit you’re not old,” Alleria teased and Jaina smiled and shook her head.

Just then, both women turned around with a start at the sound of boots slapping stone and slightly labored breathing. Jaina grinned. “About time you showed up.”

“Sorry I’m late,” Tandred said, removing his hat with a flourish and bowing to both of them, “I—“ He cut himself off and Jaina followed his gaze as it settled on Alleria, a smile forming on his lips. “I’m _very_ sorry, actually,” he said, stepping forward and twirling his hat as he placed it back on his head. He reached out a hand to Alleria, who reached out her own with a smile as well.

Jaina looked between the two of them, her brows lifting so high she wondered if it was possible that they might actually disappear into her hairline. She said nothing, but watched with what she could only tell herself was a curious—and slightly disgusted—interest.

“You know, Jaina mentioned Vereesa had an _older_ sister, but I think she must have been mistaken…” His voice dripped with a charm that made Jaina’s lip curl in discomfort as she recoiled slightly. If Tandred noticed, he did not comment, and instead took Alleria’s hand in his and placed a kiss atop it.

“Tandred, _dear_ brother, Alleria is _married_ ,” Jaina said pointedly and her gaze snapped to Alleria at the sound of the woman chuckling. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep her jaw from dropping to the floor.

“I’m not immune to the charms of a dashing man…” Alleria purred, and Jaina felt her brows up in her hairline again and her stomach in her throat.

Tandred flashed Alleria such a bright, brilliant smile that Jaina had to look away for fear of being blinded. She looked towards Alleria instead, finding her with rosy cheeks and a smile of her own and she briefly considered opening portals to two different places and heaving Tandred through one and Alleria through the other to save her stomach and her sanity.

“ _So_ ,” she said loudly, nearly beaming at the slightly annoyed looks she managed to draw from both of them, “I have a rather _crazy_ suggestion, and it is that you two should help me pick out an engagement ring for my future wife.” They gave her looks with a raised eyebrow each and she fought the urge to smirk as she continued, “Absolutely insane, I know, it’s certainly out of the blue and definitely not what we came here for today.”

“You’ve made your point, sis,” Tandred said, leaning towards her and frowning.

“Indeed,” Alleria agreed, and Jaina did not miss the almost wistful look she shared with Tandred. Jaina felt ill, a feeling only a tiny bit alleviated when Alleria slipped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a friendly squeeze. “Let’s buy a ring, hm?”

“Let’s!” said Tandred and Jaina watched him walk over to the proprietor and introduce himself with far more aplomb than was necessary.

Alleria slipped her arm from Jaina’s shoulders and began to follow, tilting her head and watching Tandred in a manner Jaina could only describe as _appreciative_ , lest she vomit the mana cake she had devoured upon arriving at the store.

“ _Ahem_ ,” Jaina said pointedly, clearing her throat so hard she nearly hurt herself.

Alleria stopped suddenly and seemed to remember herself, turning to face Jaina with decidedly red cheeks and equally red ears. She fixed Jaina with such a disarming smile that Jaina almost took a step back. “Sorry,” she said, but her tone and the sweet lilt of her voice made it clear she was not sorry in the slightest.

Jaina swallowed to avoid gagging. Collecting herself as best she could, she chewed on her lip and began, “I… don’t want to overstep here, but—“

“Then don’t.” Alleria’s eyes darkened and Jaina just nodded, feeling her cheeks grow warm at being chastised. After a moment, Alleria softened and sighed and ran a hand through her hair, tousling it slightly. “I’m sorry.” Jaina thought she seemed sincere this time and simply nodded again. “It’s… complicated.”

Jaina looked into Alleria’s eyes, noting how nervous and uncertain she seemed and waited to see if she might elaborate. She did not, and Jaina did not press her.

“Okay,” Jaina said, as Alleria stayed silent still and her eyes darkened once more, and Jaina took that as a signal that the topic was now off the table until further notice. She walked forward and gave her future sister-in-law a peck on the cheek and a soft smile, feeling herself become slightly less tense when Alleria returned the smile.

Together, they walked over to Tandred who was grilling the very patient owner of the store on gem and metal quality. She only half-listened to the spirited conversation, her attention focused on Alleria. She had so many questions, but she knew it was not her place to ask, and probably not her place to even wonder. She knew she might not be so interested if, for one, she was not marrying into the family, and two, if Alleria was not interested in her little brother. She glanced at Alleria when the woman ran her fingers over Tandred’s forearm, gulping and turning away when Tandred shivered rather obviously at the contact.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she did not realize she was being spoken to and her face warmed and she felt an involuntary embarrassed smile turn up her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, “could you repeat that?”

“That’s quite all right,” the man who had spoken said. His voice was amiable and Jaina found herself comforted by it. He was of average height and he wore black pants and an open purple vest with a white shirt underneath, a shirt accentuated by long, puffy sleeves. His hair was long and slicked back, gray with age, but showing hints of blond from years gone by that stubbornly refused to fade. He had a matching mustache and goatee that moved when he smiled, as well as a small monocle that he adjusted before he spoke again. “I’m Harold Winston, and I’d like to ask you some questions about your beloved, if that’s all right. I’ll be able to get an idea of the kind of ring that would fit them best.”

“Of course,” Jaina said, “what would you like to know?”

***

Sometime later, Jaina was still no closer to finding a ring and she could tell Alleria and Tandred were reaching the end of their patience. She was frustrated too, but the ring needed to be perfect. Vereesa would be wearing it for the rest of her life, it had to be a ring she would enjoy looking at every day.

Harold had grilled her on Vereesa’s likes and dislikes, her hobbies, her job, her day to day life, and Jaina had dutifully answered every question. He showed her various rings that had already been crafted, as well as gems and metals that could be custom-made to suit. Jaina had ultimately dismissed all of the options, feeling rather hopeless and painfully indecisive, her excitement and confidence from the morning long gone.

“I’m sorry,” she said sincerely, addressing her family and Harold, “I really am. I guess I just need more time to decide.” She dropped her gaze, a wave of guilt nearly engulfing her. “I’ll... come back another day. I’m sorry I wasted everyone’s time.”

“No need to apologize,” said Harold, waving a hand, “this is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. You’re far from the first to have trouble picking a ring. Come back with fresh eyes another time, my dear.”

Jaina nodded and turned to Alleria and Tandred, who were, mercifully, not touching each other for once. Jaina calmed when Tandred pulled her into a strong hug and led her out of the store.

“It’s all right, sis. I know you’ll find something. And you know the Lady Windrunner and I will be glad to be of future assistance any time you need us.”

Alleria nodded, taking her hand and giving it a friendly squeeze. “That’s right,” she said, “we’re here for you.”

“Thank you both,” Jaina said softly, pulling them both into a group hug. “I’m going to speak with my mother and then come home and chat with the boys after. You two need portals anywhere?”

Alleria and Tandred exchanged somewhat sheepish looks and shook their heads in unison. Tandred extended a hand towards Alleria. “I... was going to hang around a bit longer and grab a drink at the Legerdemain... if the lady would like to join me?”

Alleria took the offered hand and walked over to him and Jaina felt her stomach drop. “I would love to.”

“Well,” Jaina said, startling them both, “have fun, then.” She began to teleport away when Alleria stopped her and pulled her aside.

“Let’s... talk a moment, shall we?” Alleria turned to Tandred. “I’ll be along shortly.”

Tandred nodded and gave her a bow. “Of course.” He turned and began heading down the street, giving Alleria and Jaina some privacy.

“Look, Jaina,” Alleria said, once Tandred was out of earshot, “Turalyon and I are officially taking a break. If we find our way back to each other, great. If we don’t, that’s okay. In the meantime, I’d like to get to know your brother, and I honestly don’t care whether or not you’re okay with that.”

The harshness of the statement stung Jaina a bit, but she knew it was warranted. It was none of her business what Alleria and Turalyon did and certainly none of her business what Alleria might do with Tandred. She felt a small amount of comfort at the realization and she pushed aside her reservations to say sincerely, “Alleria, I just want you to be happy. I just want my brother to be happy.” She swallowed against the lump rising in her throat. “Everyone deserves to be happy. _Everyone_. If you find happiness with my brother, great. If you don’t, that’s okay.” It pained her a little to say, but she meant all of it. Life was short. No one should go through it being unhappy.

Alleria’s mouth twitched into a small smile at Jaina mirroring her words. “Well,” she began, “good. I... suppose that’s settled, then.” She exhaled and a soft laugh escaped her. “I must admit, I thought that would be a lot more difficult.”

Jaina chuckled somewhat nervously as she nodded. She had believed the same, but it was surprisingly easy, even if it was difficult for her to shake her overall uneasy feeling about the situation in general. She would deal with it, though, and she knew she would be fine. So would her brother, so would Alleria, and, hopefully, so would Turalyon.

She sighed deeply, a measure of relief flowing through her. She believed what she had said, even if it was sometimes still difficult for her to apply it to herself, to believe that she, too, was worthy of happiness. But it was true and she felt a little lighter after saying it, as if her mind was more at ease.

She nodded again, a farewell this time, as she began to teleport away from the now-crowded Dalaran street, feeling a level of comfort in the chatter and laughter of the city’s denizens.

“C’mere,” Alleria said before Jaina could disappear, pulling her into her arms and giving her an almost crushing embrace.

Jaina chuckled as she hugged her future sister-in-law, giving Alleria a peck on the cheek when she pulled back. Alleria was smiling rather warmly, and Jaina realized it was a sight she rarely saw. Perhaps, Tandred could make Alleria happy. She smiled, too. Her family being happy filled her with a warmth that she felt when she was with Vereesa, pure lightness and contentment.

“I’ll see you,” she said.

“Yes, you will,” Alleria said, smirking.

Jaina nodded once more, finally teleporting away to Boralus just as Alleria gave her a wink. She landed in her old room and sat down heavily on her bed, needing a few moments to process everything and recover. She ran a hand through her hair, feeling a bit shaky and nervous, but it was more because of the impending conversation with her mother.

She had already failed to find a ring at the jeweler, now she was going to try something she had considered as more of a backup plan, asking if she may use the ring with which her father had proposed to her mother. There was nothing wrong with the ring—it was beautiful, in fact—and she loved the look of it. She had simply wanted something new for Vereesa, something that symbolized their relationship and their love and how it was uniquely theirs and no one else’s.

She rose to her feet. If nothing else, if her mother agreed, she would have the option of using the ring, as well as the option to go look for something else. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair again, then made her way out of her room.

It was close to lunch and Jaina found her stomach rumbling. She had skipped breakfast, not trusting her body to behave while she shopped for rings, but now she was starving. She headed to the kitchen, undoing one of the top buttons on her blouse, feeling uncomfortably warm. She nearly gasped when she spotted her mother sipping tea and munching on a rather delectable-looking salad.

She sucked in a slow, steadying breath, her hands nervously tugging at her pant legs, then entered the kitchen with trepidation... and a little hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw, if you were wondering if I had fun with the whole jewelry store scene of Alleria and Tandred flirting while Jaina tries not to just die of awkwardness and embarrassment, the answer is yes, yes I absolutely fuckin did.
> 
> Sorry not sorry. <333


End file.
